The Pathway of Fate
by Celestial Law
Summary: When offered a job at the Center for Disease Control, Kagome knows that accepting will change her life forever. The perfect example: Meeting a certain Dixon, thus kicking off their whirlwind romance. However, Kagome unexpectedly finds herself as one of the few survivors during the apocalypse. Fate has dictated that she and Daryl be reunited, but other troubles will befall them...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone recognizable, including the actors/actresses who portray the characters used throughout the storyline. I do, however, own this plot and my own imagination. Thank you!**

" _The Pathway of Fate"_

Chapter 1: Prologue

 **Main Pairing** : Kagome Higurashi/Daryl Dixon

 **Author's Note** : _Rated M for Mature_ _for a reason_. _Don't like, don't read._ _No flames!_

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Fate was a funny thing.

Fickle, too, if one were being completely honest.

Kagome Higurashi would know everything about Fate and her mysterious, and sometimes, cruel ways. She had to deal with it since she was fifteen-years-old and fell down the Bone Eater's Well, thus beginning her journey five-hundred years into the Warring States Era.

In the scheme of things, she supposed she'd lived a good life. Not many teenagers back then could say they traveled all over Japan, when it was still wild and free, still untouched and clean. Still filled with bloodthirsty beings, or ones hungry for power and prestige. Ones who were never going to be satisfied with what they did manage to gain.

Back then, no one her age would have been chased by demons on a daily basis nor almost killed by all manner of creatures, whether they walked on two legs or a multitude of them.

But none of her friends could experience the things she did, the people she'd met, the places she'd seen.

Shippo had been the son she hadn't known she'd always wanted. The fox kit had been full of energy and endless tricks and pranks. His favorite target had been their inu hanyou friend even though he would always receive a fist to his head afterwards. Kagome had also loved his drawings and overall artistic ability. She'd kept every single picture he'd ever made her, framing them, and considering them her precious treasures.

Kaede had been like a grandmother to Kagome. Old and wise, the village priestess had been warm and kind, though she also had a spine of steel. She was always on the frontlines when a demon attacked the village, and in many ways, she was also the group's advisor. Whenever they couldn't reach a decision, Kaede would listen and give counsel. Kagome had also never come across another who was as knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, except maybe Jinenji.

Miroku had been the most contradictory human being she'd ever met. Living the life of a monk, yet a pervert whenever it came to pretty women, Kagome hadn't known what to do with him at first. She'd found him charming and smooth, but she had never once taken him seriously, except for the time when he asked her to bear him a son. Back then, Naraku had been a constant dark cloud in the back of his mind. After hearing his story, Kagome hadn't been surprised that he was determined to birth an heir with just about any beautiful woman that caught his attention. Miroku was also a thief and a liar, but his heart was made of gold. And he was also one of the most spiritually powerful beings she had ever come across. It was no surprise he'd become her mentor when she'd needed help with controlling and harnessing her miko abilities.

Sango had been the older sister Kagome had always wanted. Strong, beautiful, and independent, the demon slayer was a force to be reckoned with. She always faced a challenge head-on and never backed down from a fight. But aside from being tough, she had her moments of vulnerability. She would do anything for her younger brother – and had. Kagome had also seen Sango be unexpectedly girly and shy about certain things, like her romantic feelings for Miroku. Kirara, the faithful and loyal two-tailed fire cat, was always by her mistress's side, too. Individually, the two were strong and dangerous, but together they were the ultimate demon slaying duo.

Lastly, Inuyasha. He had been the first person Kagome had met after falling down her family's well. When she'd seen him pinned to the Tree of Ages, sleeping, she had never thought she'd see a more astonishing sight. He'd been wildly beautiful, in that moment, in that peaceful setting.

And that had been the initial meeting that changed everything…

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Age: 18**_

In the Chemistry lab at Tokyo University, Kagome peered through the microscope at the specimen she was examining. Twisting the knob back and forth, she brought the current image into sharp focus until she found what she was looking for. Softly humming, she used her free hand to make notes without looking away.

After her adventures in the Feudal Era, the Bone Eater's Well had sealed, and Kagome had been thrust back into the modern world. It had happened right after the final battle with Naraku, and she'd only had time to say a quick goodbye to her second family before disappearing, never to see them again.

Bleeding from various wounds, heart in pieces, the time-traveling miko had been distraught for a long time. However, spending time with family and drowning herself in homework and her studies, Kagome had found a new path to travel.

Science had been an unexpected – but appreciative – salvation. Being able to travel through time back and forth, fighting demons, and being exposed to magic had instilled an appreciation to the otherworldly, but Kagome had found something equally wonderful in logic, in hard facts, in figuring out the science behind everything and anything.

Science had also given her things the hunt for the Shikon no Tama had not. Shard hunting had been a gamble. She never knew when things would work out, especially when Naraku or his incarnations were involved. When the adventure ended, she also never knew where she would end up. But science… science only gave out facts, whether one wanted to see it or not. When something worked, it worked, and vice versa.

Finally moving back from the microscope, Kagome looked at the computer monitor set up beside her. On the screen, she saw the strand of swirling DNA and all of the components, the atoms, and list of elements that made it.

"You know, with a brain like yours, you might be the key to figuring out a cure for cancer."

Kagome smiled even as she rolled her eyes. Glancing over her shoulder, she replied, "I doubt I could do that, but thanks for the vote of confidence, Doctor."

Doctor Jin Kurosaki was a professor at the University, and had taken Kagome under his wing when she had shown an avid interest and natural aptitude for science during a high school field trip of the campus. He was in his thirties, but looked no older than twenty-seven, with dark hair and equally dark eyes. His facial features were handsome, smile engaging, and he had a swimmer's leanly muscled body.

He was also considered one of the top scientists in his field. He'd written and published several papers, but had never wanted any real attention or the spotlight. Doctor Kurosaki wanted to teach, to pass on his knowledge to students who were interested or just curious. He'd found the perfect student when he'd met Kagome Higurashi. And the perfect lover.

"Well, whatever you decide, I know it'll be great." Jin leaned down, closer, as he talked, until his lips brushed the shell of Kagome's ear. A small smirk stretched his lips as she gave a delicate shiver. "I know something else you're great at."

"Oh? And what's that, Doctor?" She grinned. Suddenly, she found herself seated on the desk, notes scattered, and arms wrapped around his neck. Her knees easily parted, skirt hiking up, and his warmth settled against her front.

Jin brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "You know you don't have to call me that when we're alone," he murmured, lips feathering across hers in affection. They had been lovers for almost a year, since Kagome had graduated high school and turned eighteen. Thanks to early admission, however, they had known each other for a little over two years.

"Professor, then?" she laughed, fingers tangling in the short hairs at the back of his neck. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I'll give you something to laugh about…"

She was abruptly flat on her back, arms pinned above her head with one of Jin's hands, while the other worked on tugging her panties down to her knees. The sound of his belt being undone, zipper pulled down, filled the otherwise silent lab. Then, he was thrusting into her warm, wet heat.

Kagome arched her back, gasping in pleasure, and her ankles instantly locked together, bringing him closer and holding him there.

" _Jin_ … _Oh, Kami-sama_ …"

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Age: 21**_

Kagome sighed, massaging her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. She'd been examining and studying this particular sting of code for almost two months and still couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Currently, she was in her last year of college, but had landed a job at one of Tokyo's most prestigious science labs in the country. It was a level below the Center of Disease Control, but she enjoyed the work. Once she got her degree, she'd be able to do more higher-level lab assessments, and get started towards her PhD.

Staring at the ceiling, the raven haired beauty let her thoughts blank for a moment. Sometimes, the answer came easier when she let her brain rest and reassess the situation. She was sure she could figure out what she needed to.

But the string of code was… baffling. It had been passed around the lab, department-to-department, and no one could fathom what it was supposed to be. Previous reports weren't exactly helpful either – No one could identify every single component that made it or no one was willing to confirm what others had found. All they could do was guess and speculate.

Kagome was part of a small team made up of other students at the top of their graduating class from across Japan. Out of the team, she was the fourth to examine it, one-on-one. And she wasn't getting any further than her predecessors.

"So, did you figure out anything new?" a playful voice inquired. Kagome's vision was then invaded by unruly, dyed-red hair and golden-brown eyes. "Hello, beautiful," the voice continued, flashing a bright grin.

Kagome's eyes narrowed in mock-irritation. "Oh, it's you," she said, aggravation in her own tone. "I thought you left for the day, Rio."

Rio Toshiro was a member of the same team as Kagome. With his shoulder-length, dyed-red hair, tanned skin, playful golden-brown eyes, and laid back attitude, not many would suspect how brilliant he actually was. Aside from his love of science and medicine, he enjoyed surfing and the beach, which explained his constant tan complexion.

Lately, the raven haired beauty had been noticing how Rio had been slowly coaxing her into his bed. She was experienced enough to know the signs and aware enough to know that he'd make an excellent lover. However, she was also at that age in life where a quick romp between the sheets could sidetrack her from her goals.

And there was the issue of one Doctor Jin Kurosaki… Kagome had no idea where their relationship stood – or if they even had one to begin with. They were never official, not even after all the time they'd spent together.

Rio's voice caught her attention as he spoke. "I couldn't possibly leave, not when I knew you were still here." His eyes trailed up and down her body, not at all shy about it. "I thought we could get something to eat. Unless… you wanna do something else?" His proceeding smirk was sexy and charming, a lethal combination for any young woman within viewing distance.

Kagome shook her head, amused. In many ways, Rio reminded her of Miroku. It made her wish she could see her second family again or at least know what happened to them.

"I wanted to log in some more hours on this before finally calling it a night. Thanks, though."

His expression suddenly turned serious, eyes focused and sharp. "Were you able to figure out anything new?" He glanced at the computer monitor set up, all playfulness wiped. "I was wondering about this one string of code that was bugging me. It just didn't seem… _right_."

"I looked at your notes and everyone else's," she said, back to business as well. "I examined it, too, and yeah… There's definitely something there. But what?"

Golden-brown eyes narrowed in concentration. "I guess that's the million dollar question." Looking over Kagome's notes, he hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it's definitely some sort of virus – we've known that from the start. But no one is sure what kind, how it spreads, what caused it – nothing."

"Does anyone know where it even came from?"

"No," Rio answered, mouth a thin line. "And that's what's really concerning."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Age: 22**_

He pounded into her from behind, his hands tightly gripping her hips, and all Kagome could do was grip the silk bedding as she held on for the ride. Her eyes were squeezed shut, focusing on the pleasure, on the sensations her lover was introducing to her. It had never felt quite like this, but she figured the alcohol running through her system had something to do with that.

After the mysterious specimen had left for a lab in America, still with more questions than answers, Kagome had been busy with other reports, experiments, and finishing school to go onto her PhD. One good thing that came with being involved with the team, however, was being able to attend conferences that were based around said specimen or anything related to it. Conferences were good for networking and to meet other scientists within their same field, especially when one wanted to travel to the different labs around the world.

It was at one of these conferences where Kagome met her current bed partner. They were seated at the same table for the duration of the conference, and she couldn't honestly remember what they talked about the whole day. All she could remember was liking his smile and flirty manner. It was more subtle than Rio, yet full of wicked delight that made her feel like sinning. Badly.

Kagome bit her lip to keep from moaning out loud. She didn't want this to end too soon. Using all of her strength, she started dragging herself forward, closer to the headboard. She nearly whimpered when his cock slipped out of her, his hands trailing from her hips to her buttocks, to caress her thighs.

He chuckled a little darkly, and the sound did something sinful to the spot between her legs. Kagome peeked over a shoulder, wanting to see what he'd do to her now. Her pale skin was shiny with sweat, the air smelled of sex, and she wanted more. It wasn't fun when her lover wouldn't play with her, too.

"And where do you think you're going, my dear?" he asked, his voice a rough rasp that sent shivers down her spine. "We're not nearly close to done yet."

When his hands closed around her legs, he flipped her onto her back, dragging her to him. Kagome released a delighted laugh until he thrust back into her warm, wet heat. Soon, only the sounds of moans of pleasure and the bed squeaking could be heard in the hotel room.

 _Who needs that baka, Jin, anyway_ , was Kagome's last coherent thought.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Age: 23**_

Accepting the job at the CDC based in Atlanta had been the career move Kagome had been waiting for. She had worked hard, and had studied even harder, wanting to beat out all of the other candidates. It hadn't been easy, but she'd done it – and it was finally paying off.

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?" Nodoka Higurashi asked, standing in the doorway to her daughter's bedroom. Watching Kagome fall apart after the well closed had been the most heartbreaking thing Nodoka had experienced, but she'd known her daughter would push through and bounce back. During the years that followed, she'd seen her grow into an impressive young woman with a blooming career. And now her baby girl was going to America to work at the Center of Disease Control. She was going to make a difference in the world, Nodoka just knew it – had always known it.

Kagome smiled, closing the storage box she was planning to take with her. "Yes, Mama," she answered. "I'm sure. This is what I've been working towards. Besides, America will be an interesting challenge, especially after everything I did here."

Nodoka nodded, dark eyes shining with understanding. "Okay, dear. You know I'll always support whatever decision you make. Right?"

"Of course I know that. I'll miss you, grandpa, and Souta."

Tears gathered in the older woman's eyes, but she forced a trembling smile onto her face. "We'll miss you too, Kagome. Be sure to email every chance you get – and I'll be waiting for your weekly phone call. Don't you dare forget." At the end, she shook a playful finger for emphasis.

Kagome laughed. "I won't, I promise." Looking around the bedroom, a nostalgic feeling overcame her. "I'm gonna miss this place. It's seen so much…" Her eyes traveled along the walls. They were filled with framed pictures, mostly of crayon drawings Shippo had made for her and pictures she'd managed to take with her camera of her Feudal Era family.

Nodoka followed her gaze. She smiled tenderly. "Aren't you going to take them with you?" she gently asked.

After a moment of silence, the younger woman shook her head. The smile that appeared was soft, loving, yet resigned.

"No. They'll stay here. This is where home is." She gave her mother a bright smile. "They wouldn't want me to miss them forever. I'm going on a new journey, one that I have to do on my own. I think they'll understand that I have to do this alone."

Kagome's eyes trailed back to the framed photos and pictures. Her smile stretched even wider. "Yes," she murmured, mostly to herself. "This is definitely where home is."

And she was ready to start the next chapter of her life.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Age: 24**_

When she first walked into the rowdy, biker-filled bar, his attention had been immediately snagged. He wouldn't call it 'love at first sight,' but it was definitely lust. His plans to grab a couple of beers, talk shop with some of the other guys, then head home to listen to his older brother – _once again_ – bang some random chick, took a nosedive down the drain. Because his plans now included _her_. He was definitely taking her back to his place. Or hers. Whichever was closest and the most convenient.

She was Asian, he was sure, with pale, creamy skin he wanted to touch and mark with love bites. Her facial features were borderline angelic, with pink, plump lips, a cute nose, and a stubborn jaw line. Her eyes were a mesmerizing amethyst, a color he'd never seen before, but knew had to be real. Contacts had a certain gleam that he just didn't see when he looked at her. Raven hair fell in silky waves down a slim back, ending at her waist, showcasing a petite frame. Her legs were mile-long, toned, as were her arms. Vaguely, he wondered how she kept in such good shape, but then his eyes traveled back up her form and were caught by the perky C-cup breasts he hoped were real.

Currently, his object of obsession – and he was positive he wasn't the only one – was wearing a sinful black dress that ended several inches above her knees. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and hugged her curves like a jealous lover. On her feet, she wore strappy heels that matched the clutch she carried. Lastly, for jewelry, she only wore a necklace that had a pink sphere charm that dangled between her collarbones.

Yeah, he was definitely taking her home with him. No matter what.

From his spot at the bar, he watched as she and her small group of friends – all female, thankfully – talked briefly before finding a table to sit down. They didn't look like the types who actually frequented biker bars, but he wasn't about to overlook his good fortune that she happened to step into this particular one, at this particular time.

He continued to observe her, watching as she ordered from the waitress, before turning her attention back to her friends. From what he could tell, they were also coworkers based on body language and what sounded like 'office' gossip. Years of hunting and tracking gave him decently sharp hearing, and he liked the sound of her voice from what little he could hear. It was soothing and warm. It washed over him in a way he wasn't familiar with, but it was a sensation he wouldn't mind being repeated.

"Can I get you anything else, handsome?" the same waitress asked, her tone clearly suggesting something illicit. Her eyes raked over his body, and he had to fight down the urge to roll his eyes. This particular waitress, Tammy – because _God forbid_ , she didn't try to flash him her overly large breasts, showing her name tag, dozens of times before – had been trying to get him into bed with her – or onto any other flat surface, for that matter, for a while now.

There was only one problem: He wasn't interested, had never been interested, and wasn't planning on _being_ interested, _ever_. Tammy was pretty, of course, but he wasn't into loose women. He respected his body enough to know he never wanted to even chance getting an STD from a one-night mistake. He could thank his older brother for that life lesson.

But that brought him back to his obsession with the beautiful Asian woman. His eyes tracked back to her and her friends.

Tilting his head in their direction, he casually asked, "What's up with them?"

Tammy's mouth thinned in obvious displeasure, eyes flashing. "Oh, you wouldn't be interested in them, honey," she off-handedly commented, waving a dismissive hand. "They're nothing but a bunch of science geeks or whatever. Total bores, not to mention too uptight and high maintenance. I don't even know why they came in here."

"Definitely don't see that every day," he agreed. His eyes suddenly narrowed when one biker approached them, hackles rising as he sensed trouble brewing.

However, there was nothing for him to worry about. The raven haired beauty handled the situation with class and in such a way the biker didn't even appear angry at being soundly rejected. Surprised, his eyebrow rose as he watched the other man walk away. The young women at the table, meanwhile, went back to talking like nothing happened.

There was definitely more than meets the eye when it came to that woman.

For the next couple of hours, he continued to sit at the bar, silently watching the table with the fascinating Asian woman. In that amount of time, a countless number of bikers approached, only to be sent away with a smile and a few spoken words too soft for him to hear. He was also rather impressed with the sheer amount of alcohol that the women were able to consume before the first one showed signs of being tipsy.

Finally, he saw his opportunity arise when she stood and steadily made her way to the bar. He didn't straighten his hair or fix his clothes, but he did sit up and acted like he hadn't been staring like a creep the entire time she was present.

"Hey, can we get another round of beers?" she requested, voice pleasant and almost musical. Her cheeks also had the faintest flush, no doubt from all of the alcohol she'd been steadily drinking. It just made her more attractive, in his eyes.

Behind the bar counter, Tammy huffed but went to fetch a new case from the back. With a waspish, "Wait here," she left.

Blinking in confusion, the raven haired beauty muttered, "Was it something I said?"

"Naw, she's just pissed at me," he answered, seeing his opening. Sure, it was far from the best one, but he'd take it. When her amazing amethyst gaze landed on him curiously, he casually shrugged. "I wouldn't take it personally."

She hummed in understanding. Sympathetically, she guessed, "Ex-girlfriend?"

Bluntly, he corrected, "More like, I wouldn't fuck her."

For a second, he thought he'd been too crass, but his response elicited a laugh from her. His shoulders relaxed at the sound. In the back of his mind, he wondered why she affected him so much. No other woman had done this to him before, had never caught his attention so completely. It made him wonder and question what made her so different.

When her amusement died down, her eyes still sparkling, she then asked, "Not your type?"

"Not even close."

The way her eyes trailed down his body, the way she softly bit her bottom lip in unconscious invitation, had a slow burn building within him. He definitely liked the way she looked at him.

"So… what is your type, then?"

He smirked. "How 'bout you let me buy you a drink and I'll tell you?"

She looked over her shoulder, checking on her friends, before turning her attention back onto him. There was lust in her gaze and curiosity.

"Okay," she finally agreed. Taking the available seat next to him, she held out a hand to shake. "My name's Kagome, by the way. Kagome Higurashi."

He took the offered appendage and squeezed it meaningfully, his crystal blue eyes never wavering. "Daryl Dixon."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Kagome moaned as she was slammed into the wall, her lips attached to Daryl's. Her fingers danced over his chest and down his abdomen, wishing she was touching bare skin. When she reached the hem of his shirt, she pulled it up and over his head, their mouths separating long enough to complete the action before once again attaching together.

Daryl's hands weren't idle either. One was smoothing up her back, trying to locate the zipper for her dress, while the other roughly gripped her thigh, lifting her leg to wrap around his waist. Pressing closer to her, he ground his hips against hers, making his intentions perfectly clear.

Kagome tore her mouth away, panting, eyes glazed with lust, and cheeks flushed with arousal. When Daryl leaned forward to kiss her again, she softly chuckled. She liked how eager he was; heck, she felt the same way. She was burning up from the inside, out.

"Hold on a second," she murmured lustily.

"You're askin' for a 'lil too much," he muttered back, voice husky and gravelly. But he did as she asked, even as a part of him died at having to pull away from her. God, it was never like this before, had never been this hot, this urgent. There was just something about Kagome that drew him in, like a moth to a flame. He couldn't explain it and didn't want to.

She grinned cheekily. "Trust me, it'll be worth it." When he released her leg, she was able to maneuver enough to snag the dress's zipper and pull it down. A quick shimmy and she was naked, except for a matching strapless bra and panty set, her heels, and the necklace with the pink sphere bauble. "See? I told you."

His eyes were too busy drinking in the sight she created to respond. He did grumble something that vaguely sounded like, "Fuckin' gorgeous," before practically pouncing onto her again. His lips captured hers in a harsh kiss as his hands greedily explored the newly exposed skin and more intimate places.

It wasn't long before her bra was unclasped and thrown somewhere to join his discarded shirt. Her panties were ripped until it was a scrap of lace and dropped to the floor. Daryl trailed his lips down from hers, to her neck, to her collarbones, and then down further to give needed attention to her aching breasts. Kagome bit her bottom lip when he sucked a nipple into his mouth.

"Enough," she softly pleaded, "I need you. Right now, Daryl."

He didn't need to be told twice. He instantly straightened. "Where's your bedroom?" he gruffly asked.

Her hands tore at his belt. "Next time. I want you right here, _right now_ , damn it."

"Fuck," he mumbled under his breath, becoming just as impatient as she. Nudging her frantic hands away, he undid the button and zipper of his jeans. Before his pants could fall all the way down, he yanked his wallet out to retrieve the condom he'd stashed there a while ago just in case. At the moment, he was glad for his foresight.

Tossing the wallet carelessly over his shoulder, he tore the wrapper open quickly then rolled the condom on.

"You ready?"

Kagome nodded eagerly, licking her lips in anticipation. She had been ready since she'd laid eyes on him at the biker bar. "Hurry."

He gripped both of her legs, easily lifting her petite frame, so that her legs could wrap securely around his waist. Her heels lightly dug into his skin, but the slight pain of discomfort added a pleasant edge to their otherwise rushed coupling. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she brought him into another scorching kiss as her fingers tangled in his short hair.

Daryl groaned as he swiftly found the entrance he desperately wanted to enter. With a nip of his teeth to her bottom lip, he thrust forward roughly, seating himself deeply within the warm, wet haven.

As he set a hard, fast pace, Kagome tipped her head back, moaning loudly, as she let the pleasure consume her. Her arms and legs tightened around his leanly muscled form, making sure he didn't try to stop or pull away.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

She softly laughed as Daryl lightly tossed her onto the bed, bouncing a couple of times before settling in the middle. Her sparkling amethyst gaze was fixed on her lover, amusement and lust warring for supremacy.

"Don't tell me you're finished already," she teased.

Daryl smirked, naked as the day he was born and not the least self-conscious. He also sported a new condom, having raided her bedside table after discarding the used one in the trash.

"Haven't even started. Spread your legs."

She did, without protest. And when he climbed between them, pressing his body into hers intimately, she wrapped her limbs around him to keep him close. When his cock slid inside her for the second time that night, Kagome purred approvingly as she held on for the ride.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Daryl took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke a few seconds later. His other arm was occupied as he used it to pillow his head, helping to prop him up a little. Around his hips, the silk sheets were tangled, especially around the petite body of the raven haired beauty cuddled up to his side. Normally, he wasn't the type to stick around after a sexual interlude, but there was something… _sweet_ about the way Kagome used his chest as her pillow and the way one of her legs intertwined with his. It felt… _right_.

"I better not find any ash on my bed," she softly muttered, eyes closed but nose lightly twitching every so often. The smell was acrid and she was sure the mattress would never be the same. But she wasn't all that upset. The sex more than made up for it.

"Got an ash tray?" His voice was slightly muffled due to the stick of tobacco between his lips. His crystal blue eyes, however, searched to make sure he hadn't dropped anything, anywhere.

Kagome lazily opened her eyes before propping herself up. Absently, her fingertips drew random shapes on his abdomen. "I should have one in the bathroom."

He didn't want to leave the warm nest they'd created, but he rolled out of her bed with an easy grace that seemed vaguely feline. Kagome watched, amused, as he walked, completely nude, to where he guessed was the bathroom based on what he'd seen of the apartment so far.

He was back within moments, a crystal ash tray in one hand, the other holding his cigarette as he took another pull. "Found it," he unnecessarily announced.

In response, she hummed to acknowledge his words, then rolled onto her back. Her eyes trailed down his body, surprised she felt heat starting to pool in her lower belly again. They had literally been intimately connected for a few hours now, yet she wanted more. She didn't know what made Daryl Dixon different, but she definitely wanted to find out. She hadn't felt such a strong connection – one this hot, this intense – in a long time, if ever.

Daryl raised an eyebrow, noticing how her eyes darkened to an almost violet color. Lust was definitely behind the look, and a smirk twitched at his mouth. He'd never met a woman so uninhibited, so confident in the bedroom (without coming off as a walking STD, anyway), as Kagome.

"See somethin' you like?"

She threw the sheets off, exposing her creamy skin, as her only answer. The wicked smile that slowly curved her plump lips was an obvious invitation.

One he eagerly responded to as he placed the ash tray and cigarette down on the bedside table, and dug out another condom.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **2 Weeks Later**_

"So, tell me why we're doing this again?" Kagome inquired, curious, as she watched Daryl set up the targets. Currently, they were in his backyard, near the wooded area. After their wild night, the two had kept in contact, although neither would say they were 'dating,' per se. During the weeks of their acquaintance, they had only met up for sex, meaningless conversation, and more sex.

However, that changed a couple of nights ago when Kagome admitted to being an archer. Daryl had immediately wanted to see how good she was, also admitting that he hunted and tracked game regularly with his brother, Merle. The only difference was that he preferred the crossbow, and she the long bow.

Daryl flicked one target that was hanging from a tree branch to make sure it was secure. Almost absently, he answered, "I wanna see how good you are with that bow of yours."

Kagome rolled her eyes before a smirk curved her lips. "Worried I'll be better than you?"

He glared at her, though she could see the gleam of amusement he held. "Wanna wager on that?" he returned smartly.

"What did you have in mind?" There was always the chance he was the better shot, but she figured he'd never had to learn by being chased by countless demons, where every shot could mean life or death. In that sense, she had the upper hand.

His gaze raked her form from top to bottom. "I'm sure we'll think of somethin'." His tone took on a husky quality, making his intentions clear.

"Maybe I want something different?" Her own voice was soft, uncertain. It surprised Daryl; he'd never heard Kagome be nothing but confident and self-assured. In the bedroom, she'd always been assertive and not afraid of demanding what she wanted, needed. This new side of her threw him, but he also found it just as stimulating as the rest of her.

"Well, what do you want, then?" he lightly demanded. He wasn't used to dealing with, well, _feelings_ , but he would. For her. But only her.

The raven haired beauty fiddled with the bow she held in her dainty hands. Suddenly, she was shy. She didn't know what came over her, but wanting a real relationship with him didn't sound like such a bad idea. She liked Daryl – in some cases, _really_ liked him. He was rough around the edges, but she could tell he had a good heart. In that way, he reminded her of Inuyasha, but Kagome would never compare the two to each other. She knew from experience how hurtful that can be. Daryl was Daryl, and Inuyasha would always be just Inuyasha.

When she started nibbling on her bottom lip, obviously nervous, Daryl sighed. Approaching her quickly, he gently tipped her chin up with a finger until their eyes locked, crystal blue to amethyst.

Just as gently, he gave her a short, sweet kiss. When their mouths parted, he mock-resignedly said, "Alright. I'll take you to a diner I like. Loser pays." Although, regardless of who won their little competition, he was going to. He would never let a woman pay for the meal.

The way her entire expression brightened and her smile glowed was worth any amount of discomfort Daryl might feel. He didn't date, not exclusively and never seriously, in any way, shape, or form. But for her… Apparently, he was willing to do a lot for her. The question remained: Why?

"Deal," she said, grinning. Then, turning the focus back to the targets, she nodded in their direction. "So, how do you want to do this?"

Daryl walked a little away to grab his crossbow. Shouldering it, he gruffly explained, "The old fashioned way. One shooter at a time, five targets. Sound good?"

Kagome fingered one arrow from the quiver slung over her shoulder. "Sounds good. Who's first?"

"Ladies first."

With a wicked glint in her eyes – one that Daryl missed – she swiftly drew an arrow and pulled back the string. In less than a second, she aimed and fired. It released a light, whistling noise before lodging itself into the first target, dead center.

It was silent, not even the wind stirring the trees. Then:

"Ah, fuck." And Daryl lit a cigarette. There was no way he would be able to handle this without a little 'medicinal' help…

In response, Kagome just beamed innocently.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **3 Months Later**_

Dating wasn't so bad.

Well, having an exclusive relationship with Kagome wasn't bad, anyway. She was more than easy on the eyes, she was intelligent, and a damned good shot with a bow and arrow. Her hand-to-hand combat skills were even impressive, and she had a wicked sense of humor that Daryl enjoyed. But she was also compassionate and kind, and sometimes showed a more vulnerable side when they were alone. Over the months since their initial meeting, he'd learned a lot about her, and vice versa.

And what he had learned, he really liked. Really, _really_ liked. He even liked it when she got mad at him. He wasn't a masochist, but there was something alluring and sexy about the way her eyes would flash murderous intent, the way her breathing became labored as she tried to control herself, and the flush that colored her cheeks. Added together and it just _did it_ for him. Sometimes, he purposefully got her angry too.

At the moment, they were seated in Kagome's living room, watching television. She was cuddled into his side, and one of his arms was slung around her slim shoulders while the other held a beer bottle he'd lift to his mouth for a sip every few minutes.

Suddenly, his cell phone vibrated.

Daryl narrowed his eyes. He could only think of a couple of people who would call him at this time of night, and he was currently sitting next to one of them. That left…

He sighed, "Merle."

"I'll get you another beer," Kagome softly offered, knowing he'd rather be alone to deal with his older brother. Their relationship was a little complicated, but she knew they had each other's backs no matter what. The one (and only) time she'd met the older Dixon, she'd read his aura. Merle genuinely loved Daryl, would do anything for him. Knowing this, Kagome could forgive his racist comments, misogynistic views, and overall rude and offensive personality.

Daryl nodded, grateful. It was times like these that he was eternally glad that she understood him so completely. On even rarer occasions, he believed it was Fate's doing when Kagome had walked into the biker bar that night months ago.

"Thanks," he quietly replied. He waited until Kagome disappeared into the kitchen to answer his phone. "What, Merle?"

As he listened to his older brother, his brows furrowed even deeper, and a scowl worked its way across his features, becoming darker and darker as Merle talked.

"Right now?" he demanded to know, tensing. "Geezus, Merle, what the hell did ya do?" Merle continued to talk, his voice raised and almost audible. Daryl scowled, but closed his eyes in resignation. "Fine, whatever. I'll leave in a few. Just wait for me at the house." Without waiting for a response, he snapped his phone closed.

Kagome cocked a hip, standing a few feet away. In one hand, she held a new bottle of beer. "Everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"No," he answered, exasperated and resigned. He was going to hate himself for this, but he knew it needed to be done. "I gotta leave town, Kags."

"What?" she questioned in shock, the glass bottle almost slipping from her suddenly numb fingers. Daryl quickly caught it and set it down on the living room table. She didn't seem to notice as she continued to stare at him. "What – Why? Why do you have to leave, Daryl?" Leaving the apartment, she could understand, but the city? What was going on?

Standing, he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her close. Laying his forehead against hers for a second, he simply breathed in her sweet scent, then pulled away to gaze into her eyes. He didn't want to leave either, but he had to. His brother needed him. Kagome would understand – he knew she would.

"Merle fucked the wrong woman – literally," he began, wry amusement laced with his voice. "He met her at some bar, and, well, shit – long story short, she's married to a biker, and that biker is part of a motorcycle gang. Merle wants to leave for a while, at least until the heat dies down."

He could practically see the calculations whizzing around in that giant brain of hers. She took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

"Okay," she said, fighting for a sense of calm she didn't inwardly feel. Although not the Sengoku Era of Japan, she'd watched enough TV and movies to know motorcycle gangs weren't something to toy with. They could be dangerous, especially if they carried guns, and she didn't like having Daryl getting mixed up with them. If push came to shove, she knew he'd fight back. "How long will you be gone for?"

At the question, Daryl hesitated. "Could take somewhere between a few weeks…" he trailed off.

"To a few months," she finished, releasing another sigh at the end. "Are you sure we can't just shove him into an underground bunker and keep him there for a while?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "You gonna be the one to make sure he don't go crazy? Let alone keep him down there, like a good ol' boy?"

She wrinkled her nose at the thought. If Merle wanted to do something or go somewhere, he'd find a way to do it. "Okay, okay," she acquiesced, "bad idea. But at least I'm trying to find a way to keep you here, with me, rather than just letting you leave the city."

He leaned down to kiss her, cupping the back of her head to keep her in place. By the time he slipped his tongue passed her lips, her knees felt like jelly and she was heavily leaning against him.

Finally, after a few breathless moments, he pulled back. He stared into her glazed eyes, knowing his probably weren't any better.

"I'll be back before you know it," he promised.

"You better, Daryl, or I'll hunt you down and make you sorry."

In response, he smirked before leaning in once more for another kiss. Abruptly, he gripped her thighs and lifted her until her legs easily wrapped around his waist. By the time he turned and laid them both onto the couch, Kagome was moaning and Daryl was busy unbuttoning her blouse and tugging up her skirt.

Merle could wait a few more minutes than planned.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **32 Days Later**_

"Mama, everything is going fine," Kagome assured, holding her cell phone between her ear and shoulder as she rushed around her apartment, gathering everything she'd need. Due to the time difference, she'd had to either talk to her mother early in the morning or in the evening. However, tonight was a different case. While conversing with the older woman, Kagome had received an urgent email from work, requesting that she return to the CDC as soon as possible. "I just have to return to work for something. It sounds important."

" _I'll trust your judgment, dear. I'm just worried it's something serious – it is the Center for Disease Control, after all_."

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "In my current position, I do mostly research. There's nothing to worry about. And I only wear a hazmat suit when the two main scientists aren't present for whatever reason – which is rarely." The two doctor Jenners were brilliant, and Kagome was glad to work beneath them. She also found it cute how they were married.

" _Alright, alright. Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing_ ," her mother allowed. She continued, saying, " _Tell me a few details about your boyfriend before you have to hang up._ "

Her cheeks flushed an alarming shade of red in a matter of seconds, and she sputtered for several moments. In previous conversations, she hadn't brought up Daryl very often, but her mother probably caught onto how serious they were possibly getting from those instances.

"What-What is there to say, really?" she finally managed to say, then mentally slapped herself on the forehead. Like that hadn't been suspicious? _Good one, Kagome_ , she reprimanded herself.

Her mother chuckled. " _For starters, how is it going so far? It's been a while since you mentioned him._ "

"Uh, well… He actually went away on a trip a little over a month ago."

" _Oh really? For what?_ "

"Business…" She wasn't exactly lying. Daryl had left for business, per se, with Merle to avoid a motorcycle gang from possibly killing them (more like the older Dixon brother, but still). The raven haired beauty was just glad to hear from her boyfriend almost every night. Last she heard, Daryl was headed towards Florida.

Her mother's voice caught her attention. " _Next time you come down to visit, you should bring him with you. I'd like to meet the man who's dating my daughter_."

Kagome sputtered again. "Mama!" she almost whined, embarrassed. As she listened to the older Higurashi woman laugh at her expense, she grumbled unintelligibly. Then, checking the time, she said, "I have to go now, Mama. I'll call you next week, like usual."

" _Okay, dear. Don't work too hard, and be sure to eat something. You know how you get when you get caught up with work_."

A fond smile appeared on her lips. Even thousands of miles away and her mother could still make her feel like a kid again.

"I will, don't worry." Suddenly, she blurted out, "I love you, Mama. And Souta and grandpa, too."

" _We love you too, Kagome, so much_."

After hanging up, Kagome stared at the blank screen of her phone. The exchanged endearments were normal, but this time something felt… different.

Almost like she'd never get the chance to say them ever again.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Unknown Amount of Time Later**_

 _Fate was a funny thing._

 _Fickle, too, if one were being completely honest._

 _Kagome Higurashi would know everything about Fate and her mysterious, and sometimes, cruel ways. She had to deal with it since she was fifteen-years-old and fell down the Bone Eater's Well, thus beginning her journey five-hundred years into the Warring States Era_.

But this… _this_ she hadn't foreseen.

Kagome watched, hand covering her mouth in sorrow and horror, as Doctor Edwin Jenner raised the gun and shot his wife in the head. Her struggles immediately stopped and her milky, clouded gaze closed for the last – and absolute _final_ – time.

Tears clogged her throat. Not only had the field of science lost one of its' greatest minds, but a husband would never see his beloved ever again. Kagome couldn't imagine the pain he was going through, but she could relate on several levels.

The virus had struck quick and vicious, leaving no one untouched. No one was sure where it started or why. No one could explain what was happening accurately enough, fast enough. The public was in chaos in a matter of weeks, and the CDC had no answers, no explanations, no anything. They didn't even have a name for the sudden plague that decimated most of humanity.

All Kagome knew were a few things, and only after close observation and some scientific experimentation.

One, she could sense them. She didn't know what to call them, besides the living dead. She'd faced foes like them before, when the shard hunting group had been battling Inu no Taisho's third sword, So'unga, and Takemaru. The problem, however, was that she had to really concentrate in order to sense a few. In theory, she would be able to sense them better if they traveled in large packs or herds.

Second, she could purify them like any demon. Of course, she didn't expose her special abilities to anyone, but she needed to be prepared for anything. If she used her powers, it didn't matter where she hit them and she could take out multiple corpses at once, but she'd deplete what energy she did have. Recovery was slower, because she had to constantly stay on-guard and the supplies weren't as plentiful as before. Aiming for the head just kept things simple.

Third, her healing abilities were questionable at best. She could heal the usual scrapes and aches and so forth, but a bite? She wasn't willing to find out. It was too risky. And a part of her may be too afraid of failure. What if she got someone's hopes of a cure up and it didn't work? She'd feel horrible and would never be able to forgive herself.

Lastly, and the most important, perhaps, she was learning how to survive in this new and dangerous world. When things had first started going to hell, she'd called her family to warn them, but hadn't gotten through. Cell towers were already down in too many places for a long-distance phone call to go through. Her next call to Daryl had been a little better, but she'd only managed a few sentences before they were cut off. She hadn't been able to connect with him again.

Having fought a seemingly endless war before, she'd prepared herself and she'd planned. The first moment she and a few others had left the CDC, she'd immediately gone back to her apartment to grab her bow and quiver of arrows. Filling her trusty yellow backpack, Kagome made sure to grab clothes that could be worn year-around, and provisions that had a long shelf-life. With a few other necessities, she was gone without a backwards glance.

Her next stop had been the nearest Sports Authority. People were already ransacking the place, the front windows broken, and the displays demolished. Moving swiftly through the madness, she'd picked up a compound bow that could fold into a more portable size, along with quivers of arrows that went with it. A couple of hunting knives were picked up as well. When she spotted arrows for a crossbow, she picked up an extra one just in case she saw Daryl again. In this seemingly impossible situation, she believed they would cross paths again. She'd make sure of it.

On her way out, she detoured to the shoe section. There, she picked up thick socks for the colder season, and a new pair of hiking boots and tennis shoes. They would definitely last longer than anything else that came from her closet. In the clothes section, she grabbed handfuls of sports bras and athletic tank tops and shirts, along with work-out shorts and sweats. She would have preferred heavy duty jeans, but she couldn't manage a trip to the nearest department store too. Not this time, anyway. Lastly, she snatched as many energy bars and trail mixes as she could carry before finally leaving before someone decided to try to mug her and steal her supplies.

Ever since that first chaotic day, Kagome had been careful and kept a low profile. There weren't that many scientists left within the CDC building, most having left to be with their families. The ones that remained moved into the underground apartments, but Kagome could tell it would also act as their tombs. Most were too afraid to venture outside, while others just didn't see the point anymore. The government was taking over; they had seen the soldiers, the guns, the tanks. If the scientists didn't listen, they were shot and disposed of.

Yes, Kagome silently reflected as she watched Doctor Jenner break down over his wife's body, Fate was a funny thing.

Fickle, too, if one were being completely honest.

She would know everything about Fate and her mysterious, and sometimes, cruel ways. She'd had to deal with it since she turned fifteen-years-old and fell down the Bone Eater's Well, thus beginning her journey five-hundred years into the Warring States Era.

But she had never, in her wildest dreams, had ever imagined anything this cruel, like this world humanity was suddenly thrust into.

If this were to be her new pathway of Fate, then she will face it, head on…

And win.

* * *

 _I'm trying something new :P What did you guys think? Please, no flames, but constructive criticism is welcome (:_

 _Most importantly: Please review, follow, and favorite :D Thank you!_


	2. Separated

**Disclaimer: Check out chapter one – Thanks!**

" _The Pathway of Fate"_

Chapter 2: Separated

Season 1, Episode 5: "Wildfire"

 **Main Pairing** : Kagome Higurashi/Daryl Dixon

 **Author's Note** : Not much dialogue, but it gets the story moving along faster. Also, the next chapter will be longer. Enjoy :D

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _"Daryl… hear…? Can you… me?"_

 _He was pacing back and forth, cell phone jammed so close to his ear it would've fused with his skull if he pressed just a little harder. "Kagome," he called out, worry and fear beginning to leak into his voice. "Kags… What's going on? Talk to me!"_

 _"… wrong… Something went wrong at… lab. Where… you?"_

 _Shit. Why now? Why now, when he wasn't anywhere near where she was? Kagome needed him, and he couldn't get to her. Not easily, and not in time. Why had he gone so far?_

 _"I'm in Florida, with Merle. Listen, I'm coming back. Alright? I'm comin' back right now. Just tell me where you are. I'll come get ya."_

 _"No! Don't… here. It's… dangerous… Virus got… people are dying and… back to life! Don't get… Okay, Daryl? Don't get…" Her voice was breaking up more and more, her tone becoming desperate. Static crackled in his ear. They didn't have much time left before they lost the connection completely._

 _Daryl stopped, eyes flashing angrily at how useless he felt. His free hand clenched tightly, wanting to punch something. From the corner of his eye, he could see Merle glancing in his direction, obviously overhearing the conversation. The older Dixon's eyes narrowed, and his face was set in genuine concern for the Asian woman that had stolen Daryl's heart._

 _"Say that again," he ordered into the phone. "Kagome, say that again."_

 _The next time her voice could be heard, it came out alarmingly clear. It sent chills down his spine, and his heart nearly stopped with dread and panic._

 _"Don't get bitten! Do not get bitten!"_

 _And then the line went dead._

 _"Kagome!"_

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

His last conversation with Kagome kept playing over and over in Daryl's mind, even as his concentration was split as he continued to swing his pickaxe into the Walkers' heads. When he and the others had returned from Atlanta in search of Merle, they had been greeted with gunshots and terrified screams.

Although the Walkers had been taken care of, the group now had more firepower and ammo, the loss was still great. Many in the Quarry were waiting for a new hole in their head and a burial, while the survivors were in mourning. Daryl didn't have time for that. He wanted to move on, leave these people behind and never give them a second thought.

Hell, they had left Merle for dead, hadn't they? Left his damned brother chained to a roof, for Christ's sake. No one had even wanted to go back for him, save for Daryl himself. And now, he was alone. What was the point in staying with a group that had done nothing but look down on him and Merle? Sure, they were vulgar and racist, but they never raised a hand to any of the women or children, unlike that asshole Ed Peletier, who abused his wife and would've started in on his little girl sooner or later. At least Daryl and Merle had hunted fresh meat for the ungrateful group they had been stuck with. And the only time Daryl had raised a threatening hand to someone had been to Rick Grimes, because he'd held the man responsible for Merle's imprisonment.

 _I don't gotta be stuck with them for much longer_ , he thought, swinging his pickaxe into another Walker. Merle had been the main one who wanted to stay, for whatever reason, but Daryl no longer had to listen to his older brother. He could go off on his own now, and no one could say jack shit about his decision.

 _I can finally look for Kagome_. That had been his plan six and a half months ago, when things first started going to Hell, but hadn't. With chaos and cities panicking, there had been no way for Daryl to make it back to her. Communications had been knocked out, and all of the alphabet agencies had taken over. The CDC, where Kagome worked and where Daryl had assumed she was, would have been swarmed with armed forces. _She has to still be there_ , he concluded. But if she wasn't… _I'll just keep looking. I got all the time I need_. Being alone wasn't anything new.

And Daryl refused to believe that Kagome hadn't survived. She was alive. She was alive, and she was waiting for him to find her. He couldn't imagine the alternative, didn't even want to fathom the possibility.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome**_

Bow slung over one shoulder, while a quiver of arrows was placed over the other, Kagome entered Doctor Edwin Jenner's office. More often than not, she'd find him in there, hunched over reports and documents, or in the lab, hazmat suit on and experimenting. She really wished he'd take a decent break, maybe even sleep a little, but knew it was impossible. His dreams were haunted with his dead wife and what he'd been forced to do to make sure she didn't become one of the monsters that now roamed the Earth. Kagome couldn't blame him.

She had dreams like that, too. Living nightmares that would reside inside for the rest of her life. It had been there even before the dead started coming back to life, and she didn't expect that to change just because the world was seemingly ending. She had to live. No ifs, ands, or buts. _She had to live_.

"Doctor Jenner," she softly called out, not wanting to surprise the man. She stood in the doorway, watching him carefully. She never breached his inner sanctum. It felt… sacred. His office was where he kept his pictures of his wife, after all.

Jenner looked up, his face remarkably blank of emotion, yet his eyes undeniably sad. "Yes, Kagome?"

 _He's giving up_. They were short on man-power, and the generators would only last so long. They'd run out of fuel any day now, Kagome figured. And then what? Just her and Doctor Jenner weren't enough to find a cure. Hell, they couldn't figure out what exactly the virus was, not with the limited materials and resources they currently had. If anything, they needed time they didn't have. More people, more _information_.

"I'm going out again," she said, "I was wondering if… you'd like to go outside, too?" Once the military had been overrun, there'd been plenty of guns lying around. She'd encouraged Jenner to practice, and he was now a decent shot. She was too, for that matter.

"No," he instantly answered, turning back to his paperwork. "No, thank you. Be safe."

Kagome nodded once to acknowledge his words. She'd known what his response would be, but had hoped… had hoped for _something_.

However, when she turned to take her leave, Jenner surprised her with his next question.

"When will you be back?"

She glanced at him over a shoulder, a small smile on her face. His tone had been concerned. It was a start. Was this a sign he was ready to live again? "Tomorrow. There's somewhere I want to check out to hunt, and I'd rather save the food supplies we have for when we really need them. I'll come back around noon."

Jenner nodded as his only answer.

And Kagome was left wondering if she was doing the right thing by leaving him alone, even if for only one day.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

He was fed up. He was fed up, angry, and overall frustrated. The Quarry group of survivors were full of bleeding hearts, yet, he knew, if it had been he or Merle who had gotten bitten, they'd be lining up to end them and not a single one would shed a tear. They'd probably be relieved they no longer had to deal with the 'dumb rednecks.' But no one wanted to even consider killing Jim. _Bunch of hypocrites_ , Daryl thought. If they weren't going to handle the situation, then what had been the point of screaming and making a big deal out of Jim getting bitten by a Walker?

Currently, what to do with Jim was being discussed. Daryl had no idea why his opinion mattered; they all knew what his standpoint was.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head," he said, stating the obvious. By this point, he was starting to feel like a broken record. "The line's pretty clear: Zero tolerance for Walkers."

"Now, hold on. Hold on," Rick insisted, holding out a placating hand. "I think the Center for Disease Control is our best bet – maybe even the only place that can help Jim."

Unnoticed by the group, Daryl froze where he stood. The Center for Disease Control? That's where he'd been headed, to finally start looking for Kagome.

Shane shook his head. "My bet is on Fort Benning. The place would provide food and shelter, if they're up and running," he said, putting in his two-cents.

"Fort Benning is a hundred miles in the opposite direction," Lori pointed out, shaking her head.

Rick cut back in, adding that he believed the army base had been overrun like all of the other military cordon they'd seen. "The CDC is Jim's best chance. And in the event of a nuclear disaster or terrorist attack, the government would protect the CDC at all costs. If there's any form of government left, it'd be there."

Seeing the matter as settled, Daryl picked up his pickaxe once more. He was determined to get this over with as soon as possible. The sooner Jim was put to rest, the faster he could start making his way to the CDC. Honestly, he didn't know why he was sticking so close to this group of people; he could've just left and been done with them. They could get killed off on their own.

Before Daryl could take a swing, Rick pointed his gun at his head.

"We don't kill the living."

Daryl scowled. "Funny, coming from a guy who just put a gun to my head," he snapped.

When Shane moved to stand between him and Jim, Daryl shook his head in disgust and threw his pickaxe down. To Hell with them. If they didn't mind housing a to-be Walker, let them. When Jim turned, like Amy was going to any minute now, they could deal with it on their own. Daryl didn't plan on sticking around, especially once they reached the CDC and he either found Kagome there or went on his own to look for her.

As things currently stood, he was planning on parting ways with the lot of them as soon as possible.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

With Jim safely tucked into the RV's bedroom, Daryl had gone back to putting holes into the Walkers' heads as well as the campers that had been lost. He'd been set to finish off Ed before the abusive man could reanimate, but Carol had stopped him.

"He's my husband," she'd said. When she began swinging the pickaxe down, sobbing, taking out years of abuse, Daryl couldn't help cringing. There was a lot of anguish behind the older woman, a lot of fear and rage for everything she'd suffered through because of Ed.

Carol may have been beaten down many times, but Daryl knew a survivor when he saw one. She was frail now, still licking her wounds and recovering, but she'd be able to stand on her own if given the time and opportunity.

Daryl's thoughts traveled to Kagome, not that it was anything new. She was always there, sometimes even in his dreams. She was a survivor, too, and smart. He just hoped she was waiting for him at the CDC. After everything that happened with Merle, Daryl wanted more than anything to see her.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome**_

Sitting on a branch in the tallest tree she could find, Kagome calmly ate from the small package of trail mix she'd scavenged. Hunting for fresh meat was difficult, especially so close to a city, but not impossible. Animals – and the undead – tended to roam and somewhat scatter when their environments were disturbed.

And she had noticed something peculiar. The undead were beginning to leave the city. Possibly to find food? No one came into Atlanta anymore – not unless they were fools. The big city had been overrun for a while now. It only stood to reason that the undead would eventually leave to venture elsewhere.

A muffled snapping noise caught her attention, as did the leaves that rustled as it was disturbed.

Kagome glanced down and towards the trap she'd set for anything that would fall into it. Daryl had actually been the one to teach her how to set it up versus her using an arrow and possibly breaking it. At least this way, the small animal was trapped and couldn't escape unless it somehow gnawed through the rope.

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully, "at this rate, I may be able to catch a couple more. I hope Doctor Jenner likes rabbit stew."

However, she didn't plan on staying at the CDC for much longer. Doctor Jenner was on the verge of giving up. She could read it in his aura – Hell, anyone could see the depression and resignation on his face. He no longer believed in a cure, in saving mankind from this virus. He didn't see the point anymore, especially after his wife got bitten and subsequently died. Kagome could barely remember the last time he'd left the building, let alone went upstairs.

 _He plans to die down there_. She'd known it for a while. She'd done her best to encourage him, show him that there was still hope out there, but it had done no good. Doctor Jenner had sealed his own fate.

But the same couldn't be applied to her. Kagome was a fighter, a survivor. She had learned from the best while traveling in the Sengoku Era, and had learned some helpful tips from a certain hunter in her life. She could beat this world, and she'd find Daryl while doing it.

Kagome stowed her trail mix in the messenger bag she used whenever she went out. The sudden sounds of shuffling feet and gnashing teeth, however, made her freeze for a second. When her eyes tracked the noise, the amethyst orbs narrowed. Her captured prey had also caught the attention of an undead one.

"Oh no, you don't," she mumbled. Slipping a hunting knife out of its sheath, she silently dropped from her perch to sink the blade into the skull before greedy, hungry hands could spoil the rabbit.

Unfortunately, what Kagome didn't see were the two Walkers that appeared from behind until one of them grabbed her by the shoulders to pull her down to the ground to feast upon. The second quickly followed the first, teeth snapping and hands ready to tear into fresh meat.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

He listened with only half an ear as Shane talked about agreeing and trusting Rick's instincts when it came to going to the CDC. It was a quick turnaround, but it wasn't like Daryl cared either way. He'd been planning on going to the CDC with or without the group.

Although, he did have his suspicions. Shane had been adamant about going to Fort Benning, insisting that he knew what he was talking about versus a man who'd been stuck in a coma from before Walkers became a problem. It was obvious to Daryl that Rick was fast becoming the leader of the Quarry survivors, while Shane was being demoted.

It also didn't help that Shane no longer had his little fuck buddy. Said 'buddy' had immediately gone back to Rick, having previously thought him dead. Daryl may be a lot of unflattering things but he was damned observant. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Lori and Shane had been doing the nasty for a while now. The only one ignorant to the situation was Carl for obvious reasons.

So, the main question was: How could a man suddenly put his faith in another? Another who was clearly taking his place as leader even though he hadn't been there from the beginning? It made Daryl absolutely suspicious. There was no way a controlling bastard like Shane would just out-of-nowhere throw in his support behind Rick.

Daryl's conclusion? Something must've happened during Rick, Shane, and Dale's scouting expedition to make sure any lingering Walkers were taken care of. Something bad enough that Shane decided to back off and regroup. _Probably rethink how he's gonna kill someone and get rid of the body_.

And from what Daryl could see of Dale observing Shane… Yeah, the old guy was beginning to suspect something, too.

 _This group is breaking_.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **The Next Day – With Doctor Jenner**_

Doctor Jenner rubbed the stubble on his chin. His eyes were weary, exhausted, and he didn't know how much longer he could continue. Day after day, he was in the lab and doing experiments. And day after day, it didn't feel like he was making any progress. Between him and his wife, she'd been the real genius.

And then there was Kagome. Jenner was positive he would've gone insane by now if he'd been left alone. Kagome always made sure he ate something, and she was brilliant at her work. Even before the virus got out, he had considered her one of the youngest and brightest the CDC had ever hired. Her continued dedication and support was further proof.

He didn't understand how she could continue going outside, however. Outside, where those… _things_ … were. The things that used to be human until they just… weren't anymore. They had taken away his wife, had taken away countless others. What sort of life was Kagome expected to live in that type of environment? She'd be constantly targeted – and not just by flesh eating monsters. Jenner wasn't a fool. Sometimes, the bigger threats came from those who were still alive, still breathing.

How could he, in good conscience, let her live in such a cruel, dark world?

It was a question he'd been having more often than not lately.

Jenner shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He needed to do his daily log. If anyone on the other side could see him, he needed them to know that there were still people looking for a cure. That, maybe, humanity still had a chance to beat this thing.

He set up the recording, and looked directly into the camera. When it crackled to life, he began speaking.

"It's day 194 since Wildfire was declared… and 63 days since the disease abruptly went global. There is no clinical progress to report." To lighten the mood a little, he mentioned how he saved some power by finally figuring out how to shut off the scrubbers in the east sector of the building. He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "I've been feeling a bit off-kilter lately, thanks to living underground and sleeping odd hours."

Pausing, he then added, "Kagome has gone outside again. I still have no idea how she's leaving and coming back without tripping any alarms." At that, he smiled a little in amusement. "She's been a real help with the experiments. I think… I think if anyone can find a way to save humanity… it would be her." And he truly believed that. "She said she'd be back in the afternoon, but… Who knows when that is down here? For now, I'll continue with the next experiment with the TS-19 sample."

Giving one last glance to the camera, he shut it off.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

Morales and his family had broken off from the group, going to Birmingham to be with their people. Like Rick had said, Morales also had to do what was best for his family. After a tearful goodbye, especially between the kids, the family of four had gotten into their car and left. Rick had also gifted them with a gun and extra ammo.

Once the group had been on their way, it was only a few hours later when the RV's radiator hose burst and they were forced to stop. Daryl had wanted to keep going, but knew he had to be patient – as much as he could, anyway.

However, while Shane and T-Dog were away to look for replacement parts, Jim had requested to be left behind. The ride was too rough on him, his bones feeling like glass. Every bump was slowly but surely killing him.

With that, Jim had been carried to rest against a tree. Rick had also given the dying man a gun with a single bullet – to do with what Jim saw fit. Another tearful goodbye was said to another good friend, and the group was back on the road, a little more somber and a little more resigned to their fates.

Daryl honestly didn't know how much more the group could take. They were beginning to lose hope, especially with Jim no longer with them. Going to the CDC had been for his sake, and now he wasn't among them. He had decided to join his family.

More than anything, Daryl knew, the group needed the CDC plan to be a success.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Later – With Doctor Jenner**_

Clearly drunk, Jenner said into the camera, "The TS-19 samples are gone. The tragedy of their loss cannot be overstated." He waved a dismissive hand, the gesture sloppy. "I bet there isn't even anyone listening to these transmissions anymore, so why bother with them? At least I can save myself some embarrassment when I kill myself in the morning…" He stared into the lens for a hard second. "Yeah. I think I'll do that." With the decision made, he turned off the last video log he'd ever make.

And in the background, unseen from the camera's angle, a digital timer slowly but surely ticked down the hours remaining before decontamination.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Sunset – With Daryl**_

 _No_ , he thought, staring with narrowed eyes at his surroundings. _No, no, no_. That couldn't be the Center for Disease Control building. It was locked down and shuttered, with countless bodies dead on the ground. Another military cordon had been overrun.

Daryl parked his truck, eyes carefully scanning the area for any signs of movement. His only hope that Kagome was still around – _alive_ – was the fact that the building, itself, didn't appear touched. If she was inside… He had to check. He had to make sure.

Quietly, crossbow ready and aimed, he and the group approached the CDC. Sophia and Carl clung to their mothers, while the rest formed as much of a circle as they could to protect them in the center.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Doctor Jenner**_

When the proximity alarms sounded, it was enough of a surprise jolt that Jenner snapped out of his drunken stupor.

"Kagome…?" he mumbled, brows furrowed, as he wondered if it was the young Asian woman. _But she'd never set off those alarms before_. Unless something was wrong and she had set them off to alert him?

Going immediately to the security monitor, he was stunned to see a group of people approaching the building. What were they doing here? It had been a while since the living had come anywhere near this particular location. So, why now? Why now, when he was ready to give up for good and end his misery?

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

Daryl shot a Walker in the head, teeth gritted in frustration, as more started taking notice of their group. At the current rate they were going and by the way the building was clearly closed-off, they were going to have to retreat. There were no obvious ways inside to take shelter, and who knew if the situation inside was any better than outside? Hell, if the military had been overrun, what had stopped the CDC from becoming the same way?

 _Kagome_ … The last thing Daryl wanted to do was leave. He had come so far and was so close to figuring out where she was, to maybe even finding her. He couldn't just give up, but what choice did he have? Walkers were going to surround them if they kept standing around. Dying wasn't part of his plan, and he needed to be smart. He needed to survive if he wanted any chance of reuniting with Kagome.

"Rick," Shane yelled out, shotgun ready and pointed. "Rick! The plan's been shot to Hell. We gotta leave! We can still turn around to head to Fort Benning!"

"On what?" Andrea cried out, beginning to panic like everyone else. "We have no gas, no food. We'd never make it!"

Lori pleaded with her husband, "Rick, we need a plan! We can't stay this close to the city at night."

"We'll figure something out," Rick replied, trying desperately to find a solution to a seemingly hopeless situation. His eyes were quickly darting all over the CDC, praying for a miracle.

A miracle that someone was still alive and would let them in. They had to.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Doctor Jenner**_

"Go away," he mumbled, eyes transfixed on the screen. "Go away, all of you. Just leave me alone." His hand hovered over the button that would close the image down. Just one click and he could pretend he hadn't sealed the group's fate.

However, his eyes couldn't look away from the man's face – the one wearing a Sheriff's uniform and hat. Something about him… There was something different about him, Jenner could tell.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

"You led us into a graveyard," Daryl snapped, shooting another Walker in the head. He would have to resort to his gun at this rate, and that would just draw more attention onto their group.

Shane snapped back, defending his friend and former partner, "He made a call!"

"It was the wrong damned call!"

Rick ignored the chaos erupting behind him, eyes still desperately scanning for any source of life.

"Rick, we have to go, man," Shane yelled. "We can't stay here. We gotta go!"

Rick's eyes suddenly caught sight of a security camera's movement. Eyes wide at the chance – the miracle – they needed, he screamed, "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!"

"What the hell are you screaming about?" Shane snapped, incredulous.

"The camera – it moved," Rick insisted, knowing he wasn't crazy.

Someone from behind the former Sheriff said, "You just imagined it. Now, come on, we're gonna be surrounded soon!"

Rick slammed his fists against the metal shutters, not giving up. "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!"

Shane swore under his breath. Moving swiftly, he grabbed Rick around the waist and started to bodily move him away from the building. In the background, Sophia was crying in her mother's arms, and Carl was on the verge of tears as Lori held him as close as she could. Daryl and the others, meanwhile, did their best to defend the group from approaching Walkers.

Rick fought against his friend's grip, tearing Shane's arm away to charge forward once more. "We have children with us!" he tried, pleading with the camera. He slammed his fist against the metal shutters once more. "Please, let us in! We have children with us!"

"Rick," Shane snapped. "No one is there! We have to go!" Grabbing the other man, he started dragging him away again.

Rick screamed out one last, "You're killing us!"

Suddenly, as if the fates had decided to be kind, the shutters opened. The bright, white light that greeted the group instantly blinded them, but they couldn't help but to stare in awe at the miracle presented to them.

 _Kagome_ , Daryl thought, hoping – praying – that she'd been the one to open those doors for them.

* * *

 _ **HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_

 _*Special Thanks to_ : _Tubafox, TheOneAndOnlyDeidaraSempai, MidnightReader1, Guest (4x), Chibi-Clar, jyre aleon, KuroKat013, Unwanted Hero, XXkagomeX, erica, GiggleboxGirlie, redangel2463, HolyButterBalls, Thornado, ricebunny88, Kira703, The Voice of, AnimeAngel240, Alice, and Deadpool-girl :D_

 _I wasn't actually going to update until January 2017, but you guys made me smile so much with your awesome reviews! Thank you so much! And thank you to everyone who followed and put this story on their favorites list (: You rock!_


	3. Reunited

**Disclaimer: Please check out chapter 1 for this – Thank you!**

" _The Pathway of Fate_ "

Chapter 3: Reunited

Season 1, Episode 6: "TS-19"

 **Main Pairing** : Kagome Higurashi/Daryl Dixon

 **Author's Note** : _Hope you enjoy the extra-long chapter (: I can't guarantee that every one will be this long, though :P Lastly, important note at the bottom!  
_

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Daryl and the others quickly filed inside, but the hunter was disappointed when a tall, unshaven man stepped in front of them to block their path. An automatic was plainly displayed in his hands, though Daryl was more concerned over the fact that Kagome hadn't been the one to let them in. _Where is she?_

"Why are you here, and what do you want?" Jenner asked, cautiously, as he eyed the group of survivors he had saved on a whim.

Rick answered, "A chance."

"That's asking an awful lot these days," Jenner replied. He looked over the group again, considering. "Alright. You can come in – if you all submit to a blood test. Are any of you bitten?"

Again, Rick answered honestly, "One of us was. He didn't make it."

Jenner nodded once in understanding. "Grab your things," he instructed. "Once this door closes, it stays closed."

Thankfully, they didn't have a lot. Carrying in their things only took one trip. Daryl did his best to grab as many bolts from Walkers' heads, however, as he passed them. While the hope was that they could stay at the CDC, he still planned on using his crossbow to hunt.

That, and he needed to find Kagome, wherever she was. As of this moment, she was his top priority.

Jenner touched a control panel, instructing, "Vi, close and lock the entrance then cut the power up here." Once the task was complete, he gestured for the group to follow him towards the awaiting elevator. "Follow me."

Daryl sidled up to Jenner's side, suspicious. "Do doctors always go around packing heat like that?" he questioned.

"There were plenty lying around," the other man deadpanned. "I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough." They situated themselves within the small space of the elevator car. Jenner threw an amused glance down to Carl. "Except you. I'm gonna keep an eye on you."

In response, Carl smiled, rather pleased with the joke.

The doors opened, and Jenner led the group down a hallway. "The rooms aren't much, but I'm sure the couches and cots are comfortable enough. Electricity is limited, so you can't turn on anything that'll drain it too much, like the TVs. There's air conditioning, though." The last came out a tad sheepish, but his words were otherwise casual and trying to be welcoming.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked, holding Sophia close in front of her.

Jenner paused in his steps to glance at the shorter woman. "Are you claustrophobic?"

"A little."

He nodded in sympathy. "Don't think about it too much." He then led the group into the control room. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room." When the lights came on, he turned to face the newcomers. "Welcome to Zone 5."

Daryl carefully glanced around, noting the absence of other doctors and scientists. His stomach twisted, dread filling him. There weren't any signs of Kagome still being here. Where was she?

Rick voiced one of his inner questions, wondering where the other doctors were.

Jenner couldn't look at any of them. "I'm… all that's left," he said, hesitantly. "There was another, but… she said she was going out, going out there. She said she'd be back in the afternoon but from what I saw outside, it's night now. She…" He paused, brows furrowing in a combination of sadness and frustration. "She was never late before." He could only assume the worst had befallen Kagome.

Jaw clenched, Daryl looked away before he did something rash – like beat the shit out of Jenner. If the other man had known that Kagome was going out alone, why hadn't he gone with her? She shouldn't be on her own, not when the world had turned into such a dangerous place.

 _I should've been here sooner_.

His only hope now was that Jenner hadn't been talking about Kagome at all. He hadn't said any names, just that 'she' would be back in the afternoon and was never late.

Lori's voice broke into Daryl's thoughts. "What about the person you were just talking to? Vi, was it?" she asked.

Jenner's thoughts refocused, his mournful feelings put aside for now. "Let me introduce you. Vi, introduce yourself," he said.

And that was how Daryl and the others 'met' Vi, the CDC's computer system.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Off to the side and away from everyone, Daryl paced like a caged animal. He'd given the doctor a blood sample, as promised for price of admission, and now he was ready to leave. Kagome was obviously not there, so what was the point of him staying? Staying with this group was pointless too. The only thing honestly stopping Daryl from walking away for good was that it was currently night time. Even he knew it wasn't smart to be wandering around, especially with the amount of Walkers they had encountered earlier. By now, the entrance had to be filled with them, waiting for fresh prey.

"What's the point in taking our blood samples?" Andrea asked, obviously irritated with the whole procedure. "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever." It didn't take a genius to hear the scoff in her words. She probably thought Jenner was a quack, not knowing that little fact at least. _And he called himself a doctor? A scientist?_

Jenner didn't take any obvious offense. "Humor me," was all he said. When Andrea stood, she wobbled and nearly fell to the ground. Thankfully, Jacqui was quick to act, catching the blonde woman and lowering her safely to the ground. "What's wrong with her?"

"She hasn't eaten in days," Jacqui answered, hands resting soothingly on Andrea's shoulders. "None of us has."

Before Jenner could respond, a new voice spoke up from the doorway. Everyone jumped, startled, clearly not expecting the newcomer.

"Why didn't you say so sooner? I hope you like rabbit stew."

Daryl whipped towards the voice, shock widening his eyes, as disbelief colored his expression. He wasn't the only one either. The rest of the group and Doctor Jenner turned to find out who had suddenly appeared.

Kagome stood in the open doorway to the room they were using to take blood. Her clothes were dirty, and dirt smudged one porcelain cheek. Her long, raven colored hair was tied into a slightly lopsided ponytail, with pieces of hair framing her face. A messenger bag crossed her body, also dirty and half covered in mud, with one rabbit foot sticking out from the top. In one hand, she held her bow while a quiver of arrows was slung over the opposite shoulder.

All in all, Daryl was relieved to see her. His eyes hungrily drank in her form, head to toe, instantly noticing the blood that was slowly seeping from a wound near one shoulder and left side.

"Who are you?" Shane demanded to know, bringing up his shotgun defensively. If the stranger turned out to be a threat, especially to Lori and Carl, he'd kill her without a second's hesitation.

Instead of her answering, it was Daryl's voice that spoke up, further shocking people that the hunter knew the newest arrival. Even Doctor Jenner had to stare with wide eyes as Daryl made his way swiftly towards her.

"Kagome…"

Kagome smiled so wide she was afraid her face would crack from the sheer amount of happiness she felt, amethyst eyes sparkling. "Daryl," she murmured back, relieved that they were reunited against all odds. She'd known, however, that they would meet again. It was fate, after all. Or, at least, that's what she'd like to believe.

Without another word, she flew into his arms with a laugh.

He easily caught her, holding her tightly to his chest, like he'd never let her go ever again. His eyes closed, soaking in her presence and familiar scent even under the smell of mud and sweat. If they'd been alone, he would've kissed her but there was no way he was giving the others a free show. That sort of affection was reserved for Kagome, and Kagome alone. Their private time was just that – private.

Daryl did, however, mutter one thing into her ear meant only for her.

"I'm never leavin' you again, Kags."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

"So, let me get this straight," Dale said, staring curiously at Kagome and Daryl. After the couple's little reunion and Jenner had brought out a first aid kit to dress her wounds and clean up a little, everyone had wanted to know how the two knew each other. Of course, Daryl had (more or less) told them to mind their own damned business, but Kagome had been more than happy to tell them everything they wanted to know if they could move the conversation to the CDC's cafeteria so that she could start dinner. "You two," he gestured between Kagome and Daryl, "are dating – have been dating since before the world went to Hell. And you," he looked pointedly at Kagome, "work for the CDC." His words were impressed, as was his expression.

"Yes," Kagome answered, smiling, stirring the bubbling pot of stew. Daryl, who had taken perch on a nearby stainless steel counter, rolled his eyes. "Daryl and I started seeing each other a few months before… everything happened." Grabbing some bowls, she started portioning out the food. "And yes, I've been working for the CDC for a while now. I couldn't leave, not when Doctor Jenner was still working on finding a cure." The last was mostly directed towards Daryl, hoping that he understood her reasoning for staying versus going out to find him.

By the way he gave a small nod, she knew he did. And he accepted it.

Jacqui gently placed a hand on Kagome's arm. The kind older woman smiled. "I'm just happy you two found each other, honey. The world has turned upside down, and even more has changed. I'd count my blessings."

"Forget counting blessings," Dale said, waving a dismissive hand. He held up a bottle of wine he'd found with the other, grinning. "I'd say we should be celebrating our good fortunes."

Daryl hopped down from his seat. "Now you're talkin'," he agreed.

Kagome and Jacqui, along with Carol and Lori, helped to distribute the food to everyone seated at the cafeteria table. It was just big enough to fit them comfortably, with Doctor Jenner seated at the very end and Kagome seated to his left, with Daryl taking the spot on her free side. Rick and his family sat at the other end, with everyone else filling in the leftover spots in the middle.

Happy chatter filled the air, everyone content and relieved that they didn't have anything to currently worry about. Having a safe place to eat and just mingle had been something none of them could do for a long time. Outside, they had to constantly keep the noise level down, and they always had to keep alert to anything that went bump in the night.

Daryl mercilessly teased Glenn, though the Korean didn't seem to mind for once. "I wanna see how red your face gets," the hunter said, grinning, as he held up the wine bottle.

From his seat, Jenner watched with a small smile as Kagome conversed with the women and the children. Sophia was a sweetheart, thanking Kagome for making a delicious dinner, and Carl seemed awe-struck by the Asian woman. T-Dog was bragging about how good he could make powdered eggs, and Kagome easily challenged him to a cook-off tomorrow morning. Andrea and Shane were the only ones who didn't appear willing to partake in the merrymaking.

Dale stood to pour a small glass of wine for Carl, saying, "You know, in Italy, it wouldn't be too unfamiliar to see kids drinking a little wine with their dinner."

Lori laughingly replied, "Yeah, well, Carl can have some when he's actually _in_ Italy."

"Come on, Lori," Rick coaxed, grinning, "It's just a little bit."

Giving her husband an incredulous yet amused look, she shook her head and conceded. "Alright. Let him try some."

When the cup was placed in front of Carl, everyone seemed to watch in anticipation as the youngest Grimes picked it up. He sipped cautiously and, just as quickly, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Eww," he said loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

"That's my boy," Lori said, pleased, as she took Carl's cup to dump the remaining red wine into her own glass.

Once Rick finished laughing at his family's antics, his eyes trailed to land on Doctor Jenner and Kagome. His expression softened with gratitude, and he raised his glass to catch everyone's attention. It went quiet, the others waiting to see what the former Sheriff had to say.

"We're being rude to our hosts," he said, "We should properly thank them for their hospitality. The only reason why we're here right now, drinking wine, talking, even getting to eat this wonderful food… is because of them. So, thank you." He tipped his glass in a toast.

Jenner nodded from his end of the table, raising his own glass to salute Rick and his kind words. Kagome did the same, smiling at the group, especially Daryl.

However, Shane ruined the good mood. His voice confrontational, he demanded to know, "When are you gonna tell us what happened here?" His dark eyes were focused on Jenner and Kagome.

"Shane," Rick warned, tying to keep his tone light. "We're celebrating right now. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"We came here to get answers," he scoffed back. He gestured between Rick and the two doctors. "This was your plan, Rick. We came here, and what do we find? Two doctors. That's it. I think we deserve to know why." He gave a mocking, expectant look towards Jenner and Kagome. "Don't you?"

Daryl growled, "Watch it." His eyes narrowed, just waiting for Shane to try something. He still had to pay the other man back for the chokehold from the other day.

Kagome laid a comforting hand on Daryl's shoulder. She exchanged glances with Jenner, wondering if they should get into everything now or wait, like Rick clearly wanted. Shane wasn't the leader; that much was obvious. He didn't get to call the shots.

Jenner sighed, but relented. If that was what Shane wanted then the rest of the group would just have to deal.

"Most of the scientists fled," he answered, keeping a neutral tone, "to be with their families and loved ones. The rest, after the government took over and were subsequently overrun, couldn't face walking out the door after that."

Kagome cut in, delicately saying, "They… opted out." The rash of suicides had been a very sad, very depressing time. The worst part was when they didn't completely destroy their brains, so came back as the living dead. Kagome had been forced more than once to permanently put down an old colleague.

Silently, without words being exchanged, Daryl held her hand under the table. She gave him a grateful smile, squeezing the comforting appendage, and linking their fingers together. In response, he gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

Jenner slowly stood from his seat, finished with dinner and wanting to go to his office. The current discussion had effectively brought up darker memories, and he didn't wish to be around so many people anymore, especially the children who shouldn't yet know about the ugliness of the world.

"Kagome and I," he said, catching everyone's attention again, "stayed, in the hope of doing some good." Turning to leave, he added over his shoulder, "Kagome, please show them to the rooms they can use. You know which ones."

"Yes, Doctor Jenner," she replied, watching his retreating form in concern.

The moment the doctor was out of sight and out of hearing range, Glenn said to Shane, "Dude, you're such a buzzkill."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **After Dinner**_

Kagome led the group down a hallway, hand clasped with one of Daryl's. Behind the couple, the women, minus Andrea, secretly smiled and muffled any giggles they wanted to release as they watched the hunter and young doctor. The men, on the other hand, couldn't help questioning where and how Daryl had managed to snag such a beautiful and intelligent young woman to call his own.

Everyone from the Quarry was used to seeing a more rough and hotheaded Dixon, but the one they were currently witnessing was more… content. It wasn't the exact word they would use to describe him, but it fit too. From the way Daryl would interact with Kagome, they were definitely seeing a new side to the hunter – a good one. And he was definitely not as racist as Merle had been, and Daryl's own racial comments had to have been influenced by his older brother.

All in all, they were beginning to see the good qualities Daryl had to offer, not just the bad and off-putting ones. It was obvious he cared about Kagome, and vice versa. They may not have known the Asian young woman long, but it was clear she didn't let anyone walk all over her and she had a spine of steel.

"You guys can stay in these rooms," Kagome directed, gesturing to the mentioned doors that lined the hall. "We also have a Rec room if the kids are interested," she added, smiling at Sophia and Carl. "Just please don't waste electricity by turning on the bigger gaming systems and things of that sort. We do, however, have a lot of books to read from just as many genres. And board games, of course. Help yourselves."

"Thank you so much, Kagome," Lori said, smiling gratefully. "This is all wonderful."

"Don't mention it. I'm happy to help. If you have any questions, let me know."

Carol asked, "Where's the bathroom? If it's okay, I'm sure myself and the others would like to freshen up a little." She couldn't even remember the last time she'd given herself a sponge bath.

Kagome smiled, laughing lightly. "Yes, that's perfectly understandable. The bathroom is around that corner." She pointed to indicate which direction she meant. "I would suggest taking quick showers, though." She started to walk away, heading towards her own room to give the others time to settle in. Daryl easily followed behind. "With this many people, I imagine the hot water will run out pretty fast."

"Did she say… hot water?" Glenn asked no one in particular, a slow, dreamy smile starting to form on his alcohol-flushed face.

T-Dog slapped his friend on the shoulder, grinning. "She did, my friend. She did."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome & Daryl**_

Her room wasn't located that far away from everyone and, as soon as the door closed behind the couple, Daryl swept her into his arms to hungrily slant his mouth across hers. He backed them into the nearest wall, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist to bodily cling to him. As her arms slid around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, his own hands were busy with roughly tugging her dirty top off and throwing the mud-covered garment somewhere over his shoulder. Underneath, she'd worn a thin, spaghetti-strapped tank top that would've bared too much cleavage and toned abdomen for Daryl's liking – unless she was wearing it only for him.

Pulling back from the scorching kiss, his dark eyes narrowed as he took in her wounds. One hand gently smoothed over the bandage that covered her side, while his lips traced the one wrapped around her shoulder. Thankfully, neither was serious enough to need stitches but just the fact that Kagome had been injured left Daryl edgy.

"I'm okay, Daryl," she softly murmured, knowing what he worried about without having to verbalize it. "I'm okay."

"What happened out there?"

Kagome kissed his cheek, more to soothe than seduce. "I wanted to hunt for some fresh meat instead of relying on the supplies we had in the cafeteria's pantry. I used that trap you taught me how to make," she answered, smiling at the last. "I managed to catch a rabbit, but the sound attracted a… Walker? Is that what you and your group call them?" Daryl nodded in confirmation. She continued, "Anyway, when I dropped down to take care of it before it could infect the rabbit meat, I didn't see the other two that had crept up on me. As soon as I finished the first, the second caught me by surprise and dragged me down to the ground. The third followed, but I managed to roll away and back onto my feet. They're pretty slow, thankfully, so I was able to use my knife on them."

"You shouldn't have been out there on your own," Daryl scolded, scowling.

She pouted prettily, though her eyes flashed with defiance. "I find the situation entirely too ironic. The one time I go out and come back injured – _bam_ , you're here." She shook her head, exasperated. "If I didn't know better, I'd think the Fates hated me."

Daryl shook his head, not commenting on her words. He knew she had grown up on a shrine in Japan. Just because she believed in a Higher Power and he tended to question it every day didn't mean he didn't respect her religion or her beliefs. He did.

He carried his precious cargo over to the couch situated near her cot, and sat Indian style in front of it, his back leaned against it, with Kagome in his lap. When she was comfortable, head tucked under his chin, he asked, "What makes you think otherwise?"

"Well… it led us back together, didn't it?"

The odds had been against them, Daryl mentally admitted. They'd been separated for over six months, maybe even closer to seven or eight, and the world had gone to Hell between then and now, with no signs of turning back. A lot could have changed since then. For one thing, either or both could've been killed by a Walker. Kagome could've left the CDC or Daryl could've left the group sooner to keep following Merle's trail after finding him missing from the rooftop. There were just too many variables to choose from.

"I guess so," he conceded.

"I know so," she replied, smugly.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Smart ass."

"Funny, I don't remember you having any kind of issue with my 'smart ass' before," she coyly said, batting her long eyelashes playfully.

Kagome released a shriek in the next second when Daryl pinned her to the ground under his leanly muscled body in a move so fast she didn't have time to react. Her loud exclamation turned into girlish giggles as the hunter mercilessly found all of her weak, ticklish spots.

He grinned with predatory intent. "You think you're so funny, don't ya? We'll see who has the last laugh."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Hot water poured over the couple heatedly kissing, hands caressing, and bodies moving in perfect rhythm. Strong hands gripped shapely hips. Legs clung to the slim waist between them. Moans and whispered encouragement and praise passed from one parted mouth into the other, each expressing how much the other pleased them without shame or hesitation.

A pale hand reached down to shut off the water. Steam cloaked the shower stall. But neither refused to pull apart just yet.

Daryl trailed his mouth down her neck, leaving wet, nipping kisses behind on the dampened skin. His hips continued to steadily pump, becoming harder and a little rougher, as the hands gripping her pulled her that much closer to meet his thrusts.

"No… not yet," Kagome panted, head thrown back. She squeezed her eyes shut, legs tightening to force a slower pace. "Daryl… please… not so soon…" A lustful mewl escaped when he gave a particularly deep thrust.

He smirked. His mouth continued to trail down her neck, passed her collarbones, and then stopped at her breasts. Using his superior physical strength, he hiked her further up his body, causing his next thrust to angle and hit the one spot he knew would shatter her control.

Daryl wasn't disappointed. Kagome's entire body seized with the powerful orgasm, her eyes popping open wide as she stared unseeingly. She would have screamed too but he quickly covered her mouth with his own. He knew he was a goner the moment he felt her hot sheath clamp down and milk him of every last drop he had to offer.

"Shit," he panted, a growling undertone in the one word. He had to use one hand to brace himself against the shower wall before they both ended up in a pile of limbs on the ground. Just like the first night they'd spent together, Kagome had a way of consuming him completely and utterly. And he didn't mind one bit.

A displeased whine fell from Kagome's lips as she used one loosely balled up fist to hit him in the shoulder. Daryl pulled back far enough to raise a lazy brow at her action, silently asking for an explanation.

"I said, not yet," she said, pouting adorably. Her amethyst orbs were still unfocused and glazed with pleasure, so he didn't take her words too seriously. She didn't understand just how much that expression turned him on. But she would. "I didn't want it to end so quickly…"

"Who said anythin' about it ending?" he huskily replied. As if to emphasize his words, his cock started to harden again from its place still buried inside her. They had all the time they could want now that they were reunited.

Kagome's eyes began to clear, but a gleam of lust started to spark within. The arms wrapped around his neck tightened, as did the legs around his waist, ankles crossing to hold him close. "Now that's what I like to hear," she purred seductively.

In response, Daryl smirked. He leaned forward to capture her already-kiss swollen lips as they started their next round of sex.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Later, they laid on the cot Kagome had set up as her bed, with a nest of blankets and pillows she'd stolen early on. Daryl's back was pressed against the wall, one arm slung over her petite frame to hold her as close as possible. She was snuggled up to his chest, head tucked under his chin, and legs tangled comfortably.

"Daryl…" she softly inquired, hesitant. She hadn't wanted to ask before – hadn't been prepared to hear the answer – but there was no avoiding it anymore. She needed to know.

"Hm?"

"Where… Where's Merle?"

From the way Daryl stiffened, Kagome knew it wasn't good. Tears instantly watered her eyes, and she snuggled closer to silently comfort him. She had known she wouldn't like the answer – she'd known!

 _Merle_ , she thought, mourning the older Dixon brother. He'd been foul-mouthed and equally foul-tempered, but he had genuinely loved and cared about Daryl. They may not have showed affection like normal families, but it had been there. "Is he…?"

Daryl seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say. Finally, he settled on, "I don't know."

Kagome pulled away enough to glance at his face. His brows were furrowed, jaw pulsing, but the look in his eyes were resigned yet determined. "You don't know?" she asked, confused.

In gruff, blunt words, Daryl explained what had happened to Merle and his unknown fate. Kagome had cringed when he got to the part about finding Merle's severed hand, so he gently squeezed her.

"He's out there, somewhere," he finished, eyes on the ceiling as he contemplated too many thoughts with too little options. He looked back down to Kagome, a small smirk curving his lips. "Knew I had to look for you first, though. Figured you would be around here, and when the others decided to head this way too…" He shrugged, letting her make her own conclusions.

A smile curved her own lips, and she leaned forward enough to press a chaste kiss to his chin. "I'm glad," she murmured. "Still… What should we do about Merle? Like you said, he's out there. We should go look for him."

She would never know how infinitely pleased he was with the way she said 'we.' The way she always threw in her support and help had, at first, confounded Daryl. But now he understood it was just a part of what made up the amazing young woman that was Kagome.

"Don't know," he answered. "But with the two of us, we'll find him eventually. Merle's a tough son of a bitch."

Kagome quoted, "No one can kill a Dixon…"

"Except a Dixon," Daryl finished, smirking in amusement.

"We'll find him, Daryl. I know we will."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know," he muttered in return. "I know."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Doctor Jenner**_

After listening to Rick's drunken confession, it made Jenner more aware of what he needed to do. If a man with a strong will like Rick could feel hopeless in the outside world, how did others stand a chance?

Rick had been reunited with his family. Soon after, he'd been so desperate to come up with options to keep them safe, he'd grasped at any opportunity he could. The CDC had been his plan, his hope of finding answers to a world he no longer recognized. Jenner wasn't stupid. Rick and his group had been looking – praying – for a cure. Food and shelter, yes, that too, but mostly a cure. A way to stop them from becoming what they feared: the walking dead.

But that wasn't possible anymore. Jenner and Kagome had been working on various solutions with the materials and samples they had. Their own blood work hadn't come up with anything useful, except a few abnormalities in Kagome's samples, but Jenner had written them off as nothing. It could've been easily explained as genetic mutations that occur through generations or just based on region of birth. And now the last of the remaining test samples were completely gone, destroyed when the lab decontaminated from Jenner's earlier spill.

He hadn't told Kagome yet. When Jenner had seen that it was passed noon, he had assumed the worst. When she'd walked back into the lab a little worse for wear, he hadn't had the heart to tell her that everything was gone. It had become especially hard because Kagome had been reunited with her lover. Daryl, was it? She had looked so happy, so relieved to see him.

The least Jenner could do was give her one last night with Daryl.

His eyes tracked to the wall, looking at the decreasing amount of time displayed in red numbers, with a dispassionate gaze.

Tomorrow, everything – like the TS-19 samples – would be completely gone, burned up in flames until there was nothing left.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **The Next Morning**_

Kagome had managed to sneak out of bed, though she knew it was only because Daryl had drunk too much wine and was probably sleeping off its effects. The sheer amount of rounds of sex they had may have influenced it, too, but she wasn't complaining.

Besides, as much as she wanted to stay in bed with him, she had work to do. She hadn't asked how far Doctor Jenner had gotten in yesterday's experiments, and she was curious. He also hadn't seemed willing to discuss his findings, but she assumed it was only because of their unexpected but welcomed guests.

And Kagome had wanted to be a little selfish by spending alone time with Daryl, so she was thankful that Doctor Jenner seemed to realize that too.

"Good morning, Doctor Jenner," she greeted, smiling at the man. As typical, she found him in the big room filled with computers and the main system. He always started his mornings there, especially if tests needed to run overnight.

He gave her a slight glance before looking once more at the results on the screen. "Morning," he returned. "Sleep well?"

"Yes," she answered. She adjusted her lab coat, sticking her hands into the pockets. "How are the blood samples?" Her tone took on a professional quality, brain already realigning from survival mode to doctor of dangerous diseases mode.

Jenner's tone was off-hand, a little deadpanned. "No surprises."

"I see," she sighed. "I was afraid that would be the case. How about the tests you ran yesterday on TS-19? Are the results in?"

He waved a hand to a computer a few stations down from the one he was using. "See for yourself," he said. He sat back in his seat, giving Kagome his full attention. "I think you'll be interested to see what I found." Underneath his words, there was a subtle hint of something… _wrong_.

Unfortunately, Kagome didn't hear it. She raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. "Oh? Did something in the genetic makeup change? React?" Not waiting for an answer, she quickly walked over to see what Jenner had been talking about. "Vi, bring up the results from yesterday's experiment for TS-19." She read off the proper code for the needed information.

As she waited for it to load, Jenner slowly stood from his seat. One hand reached into his lab coat's pocket, palming a preloaded syringe he'd found from the CDC's Infirmary. After his little talk with Rick, Jenner knew what he needed to do, what had to be done.

"Ah, here it is," Kagome murmured, attention completely glued onto the video feed that had popped up. Her brows furrowed. "What's this?" She hadn't expected a video. Where were the lab results?

She started to turn. "Doctor Jenner—?" she began, confused, but gasped when a needle pierced her neck. Her amethyst eyes widened, incredulous, as she stared at the man before her. His expression was completely closed off, yet his eyes seemed… regretful.

"It'll all be okay," Jenner softly, soothingly said. When Kagome's body began to slump, his free hand easily caught her lighter weight so that she wouldn't collapse onto the cold, hard floor. He depressed the needle's plunger a little more, wanting to be sure she was deeply asleep for what was about to happen. Her eyes closed a few seconds later. "It'll all be okay."

He was, after all, saving her from a life of constant fear, starvation, and utter chaos. Kagome would sleep, and sleep, and sleep, never to awaken again. Jenner would save her from even the split second of pain when the entire building went up in flames.

Lifting her into his arms, Jenner set her limp body on the side as comfortably as he could. He gently brushed her bangs out of her face, wanting a last look at the bright young woman he had grown rather fond of since she began working for the CDC. His wife had considered Kagome as family, and Jenner couldn't do any less.

"Yes," he muttered, though he knew no one would hear him, "everything will be okay now."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

When he awoke to an empty cot, no Kagome in sight, Daryl had a split second of panic that last night hadn't happened. However, the two aspirin pills, a bottle of water, and a note left nearby quickly reassured the hunter that it had, indeed, been real.

He'd slept most of his hangover off, though his body pleasantly ached more than his head. He was more than likely going to drink more wine for breakfast, anyway, so only grabbed the water bottle and guzzled half before feeling remotely awake enough to face the others.

Picking up the note, he squinted at the small, neat handwriting that was definitely Kagome's. It was feminine and elegant, nothing like his chicken scratch or messy scrawl.

 _Good morning, Daryl_ , the note read, _I had to work in the lab with Doctor Jenner, and didn't want to wake you up. I'll see you at breakfast. – Kagome_

A growling hum unconsciously escaped his throat to acknowledge her words. Rolling off the cot with only a slight stumble, Daryl cracked his neck and then began rummaging for decently clean clothes to change into.

Once he was dressed and armed with a few hidden knives, he left the room to find Kagome and have breakfast. Or, in his case, hunt up some more alcohol.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

It was easy to sneak in without anyone commenting on his arrival. Daryl went straight for where he knew Dale had found the first bottle of wine last night. T-Dog was cooking at the stove, a frying pan full of eggs that actually smelled good. Lori, Carol, and Jacqui were busy preparing plates for everyone.

T-Dog glanced around the cafeteria where others were beginning to trickle in, all obviously hung over. "Hey, where's Kagome?" he asked, curious. "We were supposed to see who could make the better eggs."

"She's probably still sleeping," Jacqui suggested. "The poor thing did run into a bit of trouble yesterday."

Daryl corrected just loud enough for them to hear, "She's workin'." He grabbed the bottle of alcohol he wanted and left the pantry to take a seat at the table.

"What?" T-Dog exclaimed, incredulous. He blew out a breath a second later. "Well, I guess that can't be helped. She and Doctor Jenner do important work – and it's just them two." Going back to cooking, he wanted to make sure breakfast was extra tasty for the doctors. They worked so hard, and he (and the others) were grateful for a chance of survival.

Jacqui's eyes caught sight of Glenn, whose head was buried in his arms at the table. She smiled, amused, and went over to lightly tease the Korean male. "What did you learn, honey?" she chuckled.

"Not so loud," Glenn groaned, eyes squeezing shut. Everything was just so… hyper sensitive this morning, especially his pounding headache. He groaned again. "I'm never drinking that much ever again."

Rick appeared, looking a little worse for wear, but not stumbling on his feet at least.

Carl innocently asked his father, "Are you hung over, Dad? Mom said you'd be."

"Well, your Mom's right," Rick replied, smiling.

Lori chuckled. "Mom has that annoying habit." She gave her husband some aspirin pills from the big bottle that had been left in the center of the table.

Rick took them, asking curiously, "Where did that come from?" His head nodded towards the bottle.

"Doctor Jenner left them," she answered simply.

T-Dog came out of the kitchen, a pan of eggs and a spatula in either hand. He grinned. "These will help, too. They're powdered eggs but I do'em up good," he proudly said. He began dishing out breakfast, starting with the children then moving onto the more heavily hung over group members.

Glenn looked more than vaguely ill, but still thanked the other man for the food.

Shane entered the room, practically stomping over to the coffee maker to grab a cup. His expression was borderline dark, and he didn't say a single thing to anyone nor would he look at them.

"Do you feel as bad as I do?" Rick asked his best friend, smiling in amusement.

"Worse," Shane grunted. When he finally turned to face everyone, it exposed the scratches that lined the side of his neck.

T-Dog was the first to ask the question all of them were thinking. "What happened to your neck?"

The former deputy shrugged, though his eyes locked onto Lori. "Must've did that in my sleep," he casually dismissed.

Rick's brows furrowed. "Never seen you do that before."

Shane agreed. "Not like me at all." His gaze hadn't wavered from Lori once, though the woman in question pointedly looked down and continued to eat.

From his place at the table, Daryl rolled his eyes and scoffed under his breath. It was pretty damned obvious what happened last night between Shane and Lori. The former deputy had hoped she would give up the goods despite her husband being back in the picture, and she had strongly refused. When the shit finally hit the fan, like it was bound to do, Daryl knew this clusterfuck of a love triangle would not end pretty.

Instead, he would lay money on it ending with blood being spilled. But whose remained to be seen.

Jenner walked into the cafeteria at that moment, heading straight for the coffee much like Shane had done. His expression, however, was closed-off instead of dark and brooding. It made Daryl raise an eyebrow even as the hunter took careful note that Kagome was still nowhere in sight. It was starting to make him edgy.

As Jenner fixed his coffee to his liking, Dale reluctantly asked, "Hey, Doc? I hate to bombard you with questions first thing in the morning…"

"But you're going to," Jenner concluded, exasperated but resigned.

Andrea set down her fork, a look of accusation starting to glimmer in her blue eyes. Ever since last night, she had started to see the merit behind Shane's demands for answers from the doctors. The Quarry group of survivors deserved them, after all, especially after everything they had gone through… Everything – _Everyone_ – they had lost. Jim. _Amy_.

"We didn't come here for the eggs," she said, voice hardening in determination.

Jenner appeared to consider his next decision carefully. "Very well," he said. "Follow me to the control center. There's something all of you should see." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked back in the direction he came, cup of coffee in hand.

Daryl was the first to stand and follow. The alcohol he'd planned on consuming for breakfast was completely forgotten in favor of finding Kagome. He wasn't sure what, exactly, tipped him off, but something definitely didn't feel right.

He easily caught up to Jenner. "Where's Kagome?" he gruffly asked.

"She's still working." The other man didn't even bat an eyelash. "Last I saw, she was looking over the results of yesterday's experiments."

 _What the hell?_ Daryl thought, eyes narrowing suspiciously. What he'd just heard… It sounded like a mixture of lies and truth. _What the hell is goin' on here?_

Everyone gathered within the big room, with Jenner leading the pack. He approached a computer and tapped a few keys on the keyboard to wake up the system.

"Vi," he ordered, "display the brain scans from Test Subject 19."

When the video popped up on the screen, everyone watched it with confused gazes.

"What's this?" Rick asked.

Jenner explained, "This ultra-secret, though worthless, video shows someone who was infected and allowed the process of reanimation to be recorded by the CDC."

From there, the doctor talked about the synapses throughout the brain. His tone had taken on a hard, cynical quality. "Experience, memories… Somewhere in all that organic wiring is you. The thing that makes you unique and human."

Daryl watched in morbid fascination as the virus started attacking the brain; the First Event, as Jenner labeled it. It was… disturbing… watching as the brain went dark, the body dying.

"Everything you were or ever will be – gone," Jenner stated with finality.

And the hunter couldn't help thinking:

 _Is that the fucked up fate all of us are destined for?_

Daryl straightened his back, jaw clenching. His hands curled into fists at his sides, ignoring the conversations happening around him. A sudden sense of calm enveloped his being. What he and the group were witnessing may be others' fates, but it wasn't going to be Daryl's or Kagome's.

They'd make it, because they had to. It was as simple as that. _They had to_.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

When Jenner started showing the group what the Second Event – TS-19's resurrection – was, Lori couldn't help but to ask, "It restarts the brain?"

"Just the brain-stem," Jenner corrected. "The human part – the _you_ part – that doesn't come back." When the bullet flew through TS-19's skull, he continued speaking. "Kagome and I don't know what this… disease is. Or how to treat it. We've run numerous tests, run just as many blood samples." His thoughts briefly touched on the abnormalities he'd found in Kagome's blood but just as quickly disregarded it once again. _It doesn't matter anymore_. "We've lost touch with the other research facilities. We've been in the dark for almost a month." _They'd run out of time_.

Andrea pointed an accusatory finger. "There's nothing left anywhere. That's what you're really saying, right?"

When the doctor didn't respond, the group was stunned into silence.

Daryl began pacing in tight circles, a low growl starting to form in his chest. His edgy feeling from earlier was starting to blossom into full-blown panic. Did Kagome know about this, too? She had been working with Doctor Jenner, so Daryl could only assume she did. But, if that were the case, why hadn't she said anything? He could understand not saying anything to the group – Kagome didn't know them; he couldn't expect her to trust them just because he traveled with them, especially after telling her what happened to Merle – but why not him? She'd had all night to say something, anything.

He needed to find her. Jumping to conclusions wouldn't help the situation. He needed to talk to her. Daryl and Kagome may not have been dating long – had, in fact, been separated longer than their relationship had been established – but _he knew her_ , damn it. She wasn't the deceiving type.

Daryl was snapped out of his thoughts by Dale's voice.

"That clock on the wall… I hate to ask this, but why is it counting down? What happens when it reaches zero?" There was only an hour left.

Jenner hesitated to answer, which instantly set off Daryl's inner alarm system. "The basement generators, they run out of fuel."

"And what happens when the basement generators run out of fuel?" Rick asked, frantic to find out what else the doctor may have been hiding. Panic was bubbling within his chest, his need to protect his family becoming the predominant emotion.

However, the former Sheriff couldn't help but also wonder where Kagome went. He hadn't seen her yet that morning, and nobody else was missing. Where was she? Rick's eyes narrowed in suspicion. _Did Doctor Jenner do something to her?_ At the moment, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Rick repeated a bit more harshly, "What happens when the generators run out of fuel?"

Jenner locked gazes with Rick, then quickly looked away and exited the room. He needed to prepare. He needed to prepare for his final moments. "Ask Vi," was all he said.

Not sparing the doctor another word, Rick did just that. The answer, however, had dread pooling within his and everyone else's stomachs.

"At zero," Vi answered in her logical-sounding, robotic voice, "HITs will be deployed and plant-wide decontamination will occur." HITs were high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives.

"Fuck," Daryl muttered darkly under his breath. Not sparing the others another thought, he turned on his heel to look for Kagome. She had been missing since before he'd woken up. As the current events stood, he didn't think that little observation was a coincidence.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

While Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn headed to check on the generators, Daryl went back to the room he had shared with Kagome. It was the last place he'd seen her, so it logically made sense to him to start searching for her there. Besides the note she'd left for him, maybe there was another clue as to her whereabouts.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed in there but, by the time the lights started flickering, he was swiftly packing everything worth taking. The moment Daryl found her, they were leaving. Doctor Jenner was obviously not in his right mind.

The instant the building went dark and the emergency lighting kicked in, he knew it was now or never. The air conditioning hadn't turned back on, and that was their source of oxygen. Daryl didn't know how the CDC did things in these sorts of situations, but it only took some common sense to know it wasn't good.

And Kagome had yet to make a reappearance.

"Hey, why did the air shut off?" someone – Carol, Daryl vaguely identified – asked, concerned.

He dropped their bags near the doorway to stick his head out. Everyone was starting to come out of their rooms, their panic building even more if possible. Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn had yet to come back from the basement. But Doctor Jenner, now shaven and wearing nicer clothes, had stopped barricading himself in his office.

"The building is starting to slowly shut itself down," the doctor explained, walking determinedly back to the big room. "It's prioritizing what's important and shutting down the rest."

Dale, incredulous, asked, "And air's not a priority?"

"It's not up to me." There was an underlining shrug to the words. When they were gathered in the control center once more, Rick and the others arrived too, in time to hear the rest of what Jenner had to say. "The system is designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second. It was the French," he suddenly admitted, catching their attention out of surprise. "They stuck it out as long as they could before they too ran out of power."

Daryl clenched his teeth. He didn't have time to listen to the doctor ramble and stall. He had to look for Kagome. Worry was gnawing like a bigger and bigger beast the longer she remained missing.

Jenner continued talking to his captive audience. "In thirty minutes, the building will decontaminate. It's too late to stop it since there is no fuel." Resignation deepened his voice, but also seemed to bring him a sense of peace.

The feeling wasn't mutual as Rick yelled at the group to get their things. Emergency alarms started blaring, causing even more of a panic, and startling the group into finally following the former Sheriff's orders.

Daryl, however, didn't move. His eyes narrowed on Doctor Jenner, fists clenching at his sides until his knuckles turned white. If he planned on figuring out where Kagome was, he'd start with the other man. He took a step forward, ready for the interrogation, and didn't even pause when Jenner locked all of them inside the control center. If the man could lock them in, he could unlock the damned door too.

"Where's Kagome?" he demanded, grabbing Jenner by the collar and roughly bringing him closer. "Where is she? And don't lie this time." To add emphasis, he shook the man in his grip.

Jenner stared directly into the hunter's eyes. "There's no point in struggling," he said, instead. "What I did for her… She won't feel anything now. She'll sleep. Just sleep. It'll be very peaceful, I promise."

"That's not what I asked." He was poised to punch Jenner in the face, ready to beat the man black and blue to get what he wanted. Jenner's words were also alarming. What the hell was he talking about? "What does that mean, and where the hell is Kagome? Did you do somethin' to her? Talk!" Daryl was fast losing control.

Rick, Shane, and T-Dog pulled the hunter off of Jenner. As the latter two held him back, Rick approached the doctor. "Open the door," he ordered, using his sternest voice possible. The one he used when he meant business.

"It won't matter," Jenner replied, straightening his clothing. "Everything topside is locked down. When that door closes, it won't open again – you heard me say that." His gaze locked with Daryl's. The hunter was scowling darkly in return, but Jenner overlooked it to add, "It's better this way."

"Just tell me where she is, you son of a bitch," Daryl spat out, struggling against the two holding him back.

Dale joined Shane and T-Dog in restraining Daryl. "We'll find her," he tried to soothe, but his words went ignored.

As chaos erupted, everyone talking at once, with the children wailing in their mothers' arms, Rick demanding answers, and Jenner exclaiming about what the CDC did and what types of viruses it housed, how dangerous it would be if any of said diseases got out, Daryl finally broke away from Shane and T-Dog's hold. Obviously, he would need to find answers on his own. Rick and the others seemed to be convinced that Jenner would let them out if they talked him to death, but Daryl didn't have time. He'd find an alternate way out. There had to be one, he just had to find it. He had always been more of a man of action, anyway.

 _If I was a top-secret exit inside an oversized computer room in the CDC building, where the fuck would I be?_ Daryl mentally questioned, eyes scanning the walls and overall room. Along one wall, near the ground, would be his best bet.

Walking further and further into the room, passing the many rows of computer stations and desks, Daryl suddenly stopped when his eyes caught one very important detail. Situated between two rows furthest from the group, Kagome was carefully laid down on the floor, hands casually placed upon her abdomen. Her features were lax with sleep, and her chest rose and fell with every deep breath she took.

"Kagome," he exclaimed, unable to help himself. His voice instantly caught the others' attention, and they turned at the sound to see what the hunter had found. Dale and Glenn appeared by Daryl's side, both wanting to see the young woman's condition. "Kagome, wake up. We gotta go."

Glenn swallowed thickly. "Is-Is she okay?" he stammered.

Dale kneeled down next to Daryl, who lifted Kagome to cradle her in his arms. Her head lolled to the side and she didn't stir even a little from being jostled. "Well, she's breathing – that's a good sign," the older man said, trying to look on the bright side of things.

"Why isn't she waking up?" the Korean then nervously asked, fidgeting.

Daryl brushed her bangs out of her face, using that same hand to lightly pat her cheeks to force her awake. When she still didn't stir, not even to twitch, he growled lowly. "Shit. She's been drugged."

"Drugged?" Dale repeated, incredulous. "For Heaven's sake, why? What's the point?"

The hunter stood with his precious cargo safely held bridal-style in his arms. "Give you one guess," he darkly replied, gaze focusing on Jenner, whom was also looking in their direction. The doctor didn't look the slightest bit surprised or guilty at Kagome's state, and that was enough for Daryl to know what he had done; to know what Jenner had meant by his earlier words.

"Here, place her over here," Dale was saying, doing his best to steer Daryl in the direction he wanted him. "I'll try to wake her up. You go help the others with opening that door. It's our only chance of getting out of here."

When Daryl placed Kagome down on the table Dale hastily cleared off, Sophia approached with Carol following close behind her daughter.

"Miss Gome?" the little girl murmured, visibly worried and upset. One small hand was clasped with her mother's, and she used the free one to hold one of Kagome's limp hands. Sophia wasn't sure what it was, but there was a natural sense of gravitation to the older Asian woman. She radiated a kindness that acted as a balm in such a harsh world, and Sophia couldn't help wanting to stay close. "Mama, will-will she be alright?"

Carol smoothed a hand down her daughter's hair. "I'm sure she'll be fine once we get her up and out of this place," she said, voice quivering with panic. Lori and Carl approached, both clearly shaken and panicked, holding onto each other tightly.

Dale patted Kagome's cheeks. "If we get her up, maybe she knows how to open that damned door," he reasoned, hoping his words would lower the tension quickly building up in the room. For such a large space, it was beginning to feel smaller and smaller. With time ticking down, it wouldn't be long before someone exploded and Doctor Jenner's brain matter spattered across the wall.

"There's no hope," Jenner tried to persuade the group, frowning at their continued persistence of a better tomorrow. Didn't they get it? Why didn't they understand? He looked at Rick, wanting to get his point across to the group's leader. "Last night, you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

Lori sent her husband an incredulous, betrayed look. "You said that?"

Rick argued back, ignoring his wife, "That's not what I meant – _This_ isn't what I meant."

Jenner shook his head, obviously not believing the other man. "For countless centuries, the Earth has gone through multiple periods of mysterious extinction events. Look at what happened and what we know about the dinosaurs. This Outbreak," his hands encompassed the room and everyone in it, "is _humanity's_ extinction event."

"To Hell with that," Daryl said, scowling darkly. Grabbing a nearby chair, he turned towards the door and started beating against it as hard as he could. When it broke, shattering in his hands, he went to grab another chair but T-Dog handed him an axe instead. With a small nod of gratitude, the hunter turned once more to start chopping at the one exit they needed to get open.

Shane joined him, calling out, "Move!" When it was clear, he used his shotgun to try to blast their way out. The loud explosion and resulting ricochet was near deafening, but didn't leave a single scratch on the door.

"That door was built to withstand a rocket launcher," Jenner stated.

Furious and desperate, Daryl whipped around to face the doctor. "You ain't," he said. Wielding the weapon, he started to purposefully walk forward. Before he could get close enough, Rick, T-Dog, and Dale pushed him away.

Instead, Shane took up the charge, pointing the shotgun at Jenner's head. The doctor stared back cautiously but fearlessly. What did it matter, anyway? He was going to die, whether it was by the air catching fire or a bullet to the head.

Rick grabbed Shane, trying to pull him away too. "Shane, stop it," he yelled. "Back off! If you kill him, we'll never get out of here. Do you understand me? If you kill him, we'll never get out of here."

For a split second, it didn't appear as though Rick's reasoning was getting through to the former deputy's head. Then, face scrunched up in frustration, Shane hoarsely yelled and turned away from the doctor. Pumping his shotgun, he started randomly firing at the computers.

Daryl instantly threw himself in Kagome's direction, making sure she wasn't indirectly hit or harmed. He heard Sophia and Carl cry out in alarm, but he wasn't worried since their respective mothers pulled them down and away from the gunshots. His main focus had to be on protecting Kagome with as much of his body as possible.

When Shane finally stopped, Daryl picked his head up to scan the room. Ignoring Rick, who was demanding to know why Jenner had stayed if he thought there was no hope left, the hunter turned his attention onto Kagome once more. Dale's words from earlier floated through his head.

 _"If we get her up, maybe she knows how to open that damned door."_

 _Maybe the old man was onto somethin'_ , Daryl thought, eyes narrowed in determination. It made sense. It was logical. It was very true that Kagome could know how to get out. She could be the group's only hope if they couldn't convince Jenner to unlock the door.

Leaning up, resigned to what he had to do, he raised his hand high as he stared at his girl's sleeping face. _This… is going to suck_. "Sorry, Kags…"

"W-What are you doing?" Glenn nervously asked, his eyes darting between Daryl and Kagome then back again to repeat the cycle.

Dale took a step forward, shocked at the bold action, worried. "I don't think that's necess—"

 _Slap!_

The sharp impact of skin-against-skin had everyone looking at Daryl with wide eyes, with a few jaws dropped for added effect at what they had just witnessed. Jenner's expression had even changed from indifference and defeat to surprise and disbelief.

What didn't surprise them, however, was the swift intake of breath that Kagome inhaled as her eyes fluttered open. Her face was turned to one side, the abused cheek cherry-red, but she was regaining consciousness. Her hand shakily lifted to touch the injured area, groaning.

"I guess it was necessary," Dale muttered, still stunned.

Daryl stood at Kagome's side, urging her to sit up before she was even remotely tempted to go back to sleep however doubtful that was. "Come on, Kags," he encouraged. "We need you awake. We've got an emergency."

"What hit me?" she asked, her words slurring a bit. Amethyst orbs peeked out behind sooty lashes, blearily taking in her surroundings. "Where am I?"

He completely ignored her first question and skipped to the second. "We're in the big computer room. We got locked in. You need to get us out." He helped her stand as he talked, holding her securely when she wobbled, knees weak as the drug still worked itself through her system. "You need to hurry, Kags. We don't got a lot of time left." It was creeping up on the less than ten-minute mark.

"Locked in…?" she mumbled, brain muddled. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision faster. "Doctor Jenner… Where's Doctor Jenner?"

Daryl glared at the mentioned man, who stood in their way. "He's the one who locked us in here. He said the building's gonna 'decontaminate' or whatever."

Kagome sighed. "We've run out of time," she softly said. By now, she was able to stand up straight, though fatigue kept her leaning against Daryl for support. Her eyes locked with Jenner's. "What happened, Doctor Jenner?" She wanted the whole story. She should've noticed it when she came back, but his aura… _He's completely given up. He's ready to die_.

"We don't have time for this," Shane loudly yelled, staring angrily at Kagome. Even as Daryl scowled darkly at him, the former deputy took a hasty step back when the smaller Asian woman gave him a look so cold and deadly he couldn't help it. _What the Hell_? He thought, chills racing up and down his spine.

Kagome ignored him to face the doctor once more. Her eyes softened. "Doctor Jenner," she slowly said, "what happened the other day… that video that popped up… Everything was destroyed, wasn't it?" It was the only logical explanation. She hadn't been expecting a video when she called up the results of the experiment. Doctor Jenner had knocked her unconscious when she turned to ask him about it. And now, she could clearly see he'd given up hope. She supposed drugging her had been his last act of kindness. It was to save her from feeling the very air heat up and explode around her, taking them and the building into oblivion.

"Yes," Jenner answered, "the last of TS-19's… the last of Candace's samples… are gone. The video would've shown you the accident that happened in the lab. There's… there's nothing left, Kagome. _There's no hope_."

She absorbed what he said, brows furrowing. "When Candace was bitten," she said, surprising everyone with her words, "when she begged you to keep going… She never meant for you to keep working on finding a cure or answers. She wanted you to live, Doctor Jenner."

Jenner blinked, eyes widening. "How-How would you know that?"

"She loved you. How else would I know?" The smile that appeared was small but heartfelt. Then, in perfect synchronization, her eyes locked with Daryl's as he looked down at her shorter height. Kagome's smile got a little bigger, more loving. "You could also say that I know that feeling very well, too." Their relationship was still relatively new – and they had just found each other again – but the potential was there, plain to see.

In response, Daryl let a tiny smirk curve his lips.

Kagome turned back to look at Jenner. "Please… Please, open the door. We haven't given up hope yet. Let us…" She paused, placing a hand directly over her heart. "Give us a chance to keep going for as long as we can." Her eyes shined with determination, and the sheer depth of emotion she felt for the man beside her was palpable. Utterly enchanting and _real_.

Swayed, Jenner nodded once then turned to face the computer. From behind, he could hear everyone's sighs of relief as they gathered near the door. "I can't open the doors upstairs," he warned. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he worked the controls. "It's on lockdown. I can't control that from down here. You'll have to find your own way outside of the building."

Kagome laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "Thank you," she softly said. Convincing him to leave with them was useless. She had only convinced him to let them leave, not to help him learn to live again. He wanted to die, wanted to join his wife. She respected his wishes even as her heart already mourned the man.

"Let's go," Daryl murmured, more than ready to finally get out of there. One arm wrapped around Kagome's waist, he began leading her along with the others who were scrambling out of the control center.

Rick approached Jenner. "Thank you," he also said. "I'm grateful."

When the former Sheriff turned to follow his wife and son, he heard Jenner say in return, "The day will come when you won't be." The doctor suddenly grabbed Rick in a handshake, pulling him close to whisper urgently in his ear. "It's in your blood. We're all carriers." Lowering his voice further, he continued to whisper.

"What?" Rick replied when he was done, stunned and in disbelief.

Jenner locked eyes with the other man, serious. "Remember what I said. Also…" His eyes tracked to Kagome's figure. His lips compressed for a moment then he spoke once more, knowing this particular secret would be kept. "When I said my wife, Candace, would've found a cure, she wasn't the only one. Kagome… I believe Kagome could have, too. The answer might be in her blood. Keep her safe, no matter what."

Rick continued to stare, unable to say anything, but Glenn's shout jolted him from his thoughts.

"We've got four minutes left – come on!"

With a final farewell nod to Doctor Edwin Jenner, the former Sheriff ran out to join his family and the other group members to gather their things and escape the CDC before it blew up.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

"Can you walk?" Daryl asked Kagome, still supporting her against his side.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered. When he released her, she grabbed his hand. "We're cutting it very close."

"Good thing I packed our stuff then." They just needed to grab the bags he'd left by the doorway. It'll only take a few seconds. They would be out of there in no time. Their next obstacle would be taking down the shutters that trapped them inside. From there, getting as far away as possible from the CDC was the next priority.

Kagome reached down to her messenger bag and slipped it over her head. Daryl grabbed his sack and the ragged yellow backpack to toss over one shoulder. His crossbow was placed on the opposite side. "I knew you were useful for a reason," she lightly teased. She grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. "Wait. There's one thing missing."

"We don't have enough time," he said, impatient.

She didn't listen, slipping into the room she'd called home for the last few months. "Trust me. We'll need this." From inside, something fairly heavy was shoved out of her way. In the next second, she appeared with two unopened packages of crossbow bolts. She grinned, waving them in the air triumphantly. "I picked these up for you during my scavenging trips. You're welcome, by the way."

Daryl couldn't stop the smirk that appeared if he'd wanted to. "Thanks. Now, let's go."

"Right behind you."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **The CDC Lobby**_

The group, minus three noticeable members, paused when they got to the shuttered doors and windows. Kagome instantly went to the control panel, tapping on the screen to see if it would miraculously turn on. While she did that, everyone else pounded on the glass to see if they could break it.

"Can you open it?" Rick asked, stepping to the young Asian woman's side.

She shook her head. "No, it's no good. Doctor Jenner wasn't joking when he said the power up here was cut. We'll have to open the doors another way."

Daryl appeared on her other side. "How did you get out before? Jenner… He mentioned you were leavin' without settin' off the alarms."

"We don't have enough time to backtrack. There's no way we'd make it out in time even if we had ten minutes. I had to go all the way around the building just to find the blind spot and slip through."

"Shit," Shane cursed, having overheard everything. "We gotta get out from here." Lifting his rifle, he shot at the glass in hopes of cracking it enough to break through. Everyone ducked and took cover, not wanting to get hit by any ricochet. The bullet, however, didn't even leave a scratch on the surface. The former deputy cursed again, more colorfully this time.

Carol fumbled with her purse. "I think I have something that might help," she said.

Shane rolled his eyes, mocking, "I don't think a nail file's gonna do it."

Carol ignored him, approaching Rick since it was technically his. "Your first morning at camp," she started. "When I washed your uniform? I found this in your pocket." Her hand giving the slightest tremble, she held out the grenade for him to take.

"That should do it," Kagome said. "That should be able to break the glass."

Rick nodded, carefully gripping the one thing that would set them free. "Alright," he told everyone, "get back. Take cover."

Daryl grabbed Kagome's hand to drag her far enough away to be safe. The moment she was on the ground, he covered her with his body, protecting her head with his arms. She briefly struggled, wanting him to be safe too, but he had her easily pinned under him.

The following seconds were heart stopping. No one breathed as Rick pulled the pin from the grenade and placed it as close to the window as possible. They heard his curse, his running footsteps to avoid the blast. The silence that ensued as the seconds ticked down felt like an eternity. Then…

 _BOOM!_

The ground shook. Debris flew. And, most importantly, glass shattered.

"Let's go!" Rick yelled out.

Daryl was instantly on his feet, one hand reaching down to assist Kagome up. "Come on, Kags. We can finally get outta here."

She nodded then repeated her words from earlier, "Right behind you."

"Damn right you are," he gruffly said. "Like I told you, I'm never leavin' you again."

"Same here." She squeezed his hand to seal their promise. With that, the couple followed the others out of the new opening.

Outside, the sun was shining and hardly any Walkers were around though that would soon change from the blast. The group was thankful for the slight reprieve, their main focus on making it to their vehicles and getting away as far and as fast as they could. They knew only precious minutes – maybe even seconds – remained, and they had to make the most of it.

"Head straight for my truck," Daryl instructed, one hand placed at the small of Kagome's back to urge her ahead of him. The other reached down for the hunting knife he kept on his belt just in case.

Kagome unsheathed her own knife, eyes scanning for any threats. By the time they made it to the truck, they'd taken down about five Walkers. Daryl threw their bags in the truck bed, next to Merle's motorcycle, then climbed into the driver's seat and slammed his door closed.

"Did everyone make it out?" she asked.

Daryl only grunted in response, more worried about them still being relatively close to a building about to go up in flames.

Her question was answered when Dale and Andrea suddenly emerged from the CDC. From the RV, Lori and the others must've seen them too. Shouts could be heard but no words were distinguishable. Their frantic hand gestures were enough. The two ducked behind a military blockade, arms covering their heads, with Dale trying to shield Andrea the best he could.

"Get down," the hunter ordered, pushing Kagome down. Her head was once again covered by his arms as well as his body. They both sucked in sharp breaths, waiting for the inevitable.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Doctor Jenner & Jacqui**_

From the security monitor, Jenner had watched the entire thing. His eyes had followed Kagome, a small, unnoticed smile crossing his features. Hope had reignited in his chest – but not for himself.

He hoped Kagome and Daryl were able to live long and fully. As long as they had each other, they could conquer anything. He could believe that now. He also hadn't lied when he told Rick that Kagome was important; that she could be the answer to what they – to what everyone – was hoping, fighting, for. Jenner just hoped they would be able to utilize the information in time.

Time, after all, was so very limited.

As the timer continued to tick down, Jenner reflected on his thoughts. He had to wonder what would have happened if Candace had made it, if she hadn't gotten bitten. Hell, what if he had gotten bitten instead of her? Would she even still be at the CDC like he had stayed?

 _No,_ he decided, smiling a little bigger. _She would've lived, kept going for as long as she could_. The thought brought him a sense of peace, like watching Kagome escape had. Jenner could admit that he'd been wrong. Sedating Kagome hadn't been a show of mercy.

She needed to live. She, and Rick's group of survivors, needed to live. Together, they could change things. It was their fate, Jenner was sure of it, just like it was his fate to stay and die in the one place he and his wife had loved and devoted all of their time to.

Jenner and Jacqui held hands, both smiling hopefully for their friends' safety and continued journey into the unknown. They were ready.

One second later, the CDC erupted in a fiery explosion that rocked the very Earth.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome & Daryl**_

Everyone who made it out was visibly shaken but, as soon as Glenn secured Dale and a numb Andrea into the RV, the group pulled away from the smoking crater and smoldering rubble that now represented the CDC. No one felt it was safe to stick around. A grenade blast was bad enough, but an entire building going up in flames would attract way too many Walkers for them to handle. They'd be overrun before they knew it.

Daryl started the truck, hoping whatever gas was left would get them far enough away. Kagome leaned back in her seat, sighing at the close call. Her eyes, however, were incredibly sad. It didn't take a genius to know why. Doctor Jenner had been someone she'd cared about, and Jacqui, although they hadn't known each other long, had been sweet and kind.

Reaching over, he grabbed one of her hands, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Sorry about Jenner," he softly, gruffly said.

"I am, too," she whispered in response. She closed her eyes for a second, absorbing everything that had happened in such a short amount of time and letting it settle. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, meditatively.

Then she slugged Daryl in the arm, holding nothing back.

"Ow! Shit, Kagome," he exclaimed. The truck swerved to the left before he corrected his course, both hands now on the steering wheel. He aimed an annoyed scowl at the young woman next to him. "What the hell was that for, huh?"

She gave as good as she got, her own scowl painted across her pretty features. "You know you deserve it," she said, arms crossing under her breasts.

"What the fuck did I do?" he demanded to know.

Silently, she pointed to her still-red cheek. Amethyst eyes flashed dangerously, daring the hunter to lie about who had given her the slap to wake her up from her drug-induced sleep.

Daryl at least appeared sheepish, and his eyes were too focused on the road and the other vehicles in front of them. "Had to do it," he tried to defend himself. "Figured you were the only one who could open the door – and you did. You convinced Jenner to let us out. We were desperate." _I was desperate_. He would rather face her wrath than never see it – or her – ever again.

Kagome dryly said, "And that's why I didn't hit you in the face."

At that, he couldn't help but smirk in amusement. Damn, he really was glad they were together again.

* * *

 ***Special Thanks to** : XXkagomeX, chibi-Clar, Titania Taisho, kakashixangela, Thornado, Tubafox, Vixenpup79, KuroKat013, AnimeAngel240, GiggleboxGirlie, jyre alcon, Deadpool-girl, Lunaconspiracy365, bxbe, Lozenger12, Faux Princess, YingWhiteyWolf, Bunnie.863, Unwanted Hero, Alice, Guest (2x), Mistress of Darkness Katana, sephchipmunk, masterbroly, save the sharks, redangel2463, CresentWolf1, Jabby, daisynaruto909, Spastic Freak, panther73110, Saricaykes, leslie2132, and Angel4EverLostInLife

 _Also, a huge thank you to everyone who followed and added this story to their favorites list (: You rock!_

 **IMPORTANT _:_** _I have come to the conclusion that, if I save a character that has_ _been previously "booted off" the show, that means someone else will either take their place or NOT appear in the story at all. EXAMPLE: If Dale survives then Hershel is the one who dies in the field by a Walker.  
_

 _Does that make sense? Is everyone okay with that? I realize I can't save everyone I would've liked and, if I did, there would be too many people/survivors :P_


	4. Missing

**Disclaimer: Check out Chapter 1 – Thank you!**

" _The Pathway of Fate_ "

Chapter 4: Missing

Season 2, Episode 1: "What Lies Ahead"

 **Main Pairing** : Kagome Higurashi/Daryl Dixon

 **Author's Note** :

 **2nd Season Summary** : _After the CDC blows up, Kagome, Daryl, and the others have to find a new place to settle down and regroup. It's easier said than done. Soon after escaping one dangerous situation, Sophia and Kagome go missing when a herd of Walkers blaze through the highway, Carl ends up critically shot, and Shane is rapidly losing control of his sanity. Arriving at a seemingly peaceful farm, Rick and the others are desperate to stay and most are willing to abide by the new rules. But it's the ones who are not that have to be carefully watched…_

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Once the group was far away from the remains of the CDC and relatively clear of wandering Walkers, they pulled over to regroup and basically reaffirm that they were, indeed, alive. The explosion had been a close call, and everyone was still shaken up and in shock. They also needed time to mourn another lost friend, Jacqui.

Kagome hopped out of the passenger seat, while Daryl rounded the front of his truck to stay by her side. Their hands instinctively caught and held each other, both taking comfort from the connection, as they walked forward to join the others in a loose huddle.

Hugs were passed between the women and children, who either clung to their mothers or Kagome. The men, on the other hand, nodded to each other in acknowledgement, their weapons out and eyes scanning their surroundings for any threats.

Lori pulled away from embracing Kagome, her eyes looking over the young Asian woman's face. "How are you feeling, honey?" she asked, concerned. "That was a… pretty hard hit you took." She sent a small reproachful glance in Daryl's direction.

"Woke her up, didn't it?" the hunter defended, scowling. His arm was still a little sore from her sucker punch, but it wasn't like he would admit to it.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "I'm fine, Lori. Thank you," she said, smiling.

"What do we do now?" Dale asked, brows furrowed as he glanced around the group. His eyes landed on Andrea, and his lips compressed as he saw the numb state she was in. He would never regret saving her. He just wished she wouldn't give up so easily.

Rick spoke up. "Our options had been either the CDC or Fort Benning. I think it's time we tried the army base, see if they're still up and running."

"Now you're talkin'," Shane agreed, nodding to show his full support for the plan. He'd known going there had been the right decision from the start. People needed to start listening to him again. He knew what he was talking about.

Everyone else seemed to also agree. They broke apart to take stock of their belongings and begin preparing for the journey ahead.

Kagome followed Daryl back to his truck. "What do you think about this plan?" she asked once she knew they were completely alone and wouldn't be overheard.

They stopped near the truck bed, and the hunter began looking through their things. She leaned her arms along the top, watching, knowing he was contemplating how to answer.

"I think it's the only plan we got," he finally said.

She nodded. "Atlanta has been overrun with Walkers for a while. The city is lost. Moving on would be our best bet." Inwardly, however, she didn't think she fully trusted Shane. The man was too confrontational, too temperamental. He seemed very controlling, too. It made her worried. Any plan of his should be taken with a grain of salt. Men like that… Who knew what he was capable of? "What can you tell me about Shane?"

Daryl finally stopped what he was doing to look at Kagome. He raised an eyebrow. "Noticed it too, did you?"

"I'm not an idiot," she replied, a small, unamused smirk appearing on her face. "From what you told me, Shane was the leader of your Quarry group until Rick came back practically from the dead. Though, he didn't give a very good first impression."

"Naw, he didn't." He paused then admitted, "But he was the first to volunteer to go back for Merle. He did right by me." And that spoke of the other man's honor. It was enough for Daryl to consider him a good leader.

Kagome's expression turned serious. "Shane, on the other hand…" she trailed off, knowing nothing else needed to be said. The former deputy had washed his hands of Merle the moment he could justify the action. Back in the Feudal Era, no members of their group had been left behind, no matter the situation.

"Yeah," was all Daryl said in response.

"We don't have to stay," she tried. "Daryl, we could start looking for Merle."

He wanted to do just that, more than anything, but… "Not yet." Grabbing the crossbow bolts she'd found for him, he started checking the arrowheads. They were sharp and clean. There was no doubt Kagome had made sure they'd shoot without any problems.

Her head cocked to one side, like a curious puppy. "Why not?" His answer had actually surprised her, though she knew he had his reasons.

Daryl looked at her with an intensity that had her heart fluttering, breath catching in her lungs. "Jus'… not yet," he repeated. Reaching a hand out, he tucked her hair behind her ear. "We'll wait. We'll wait until we find somewhere safe. Go from there."

"Alright," she softly acquiesced. She rubbed her cheek – the one he'd slapped, ironically, but was no longer red – against his rough palm, taking comfort in the sweet gesture. She smiled, and changed the subject. "Let's get moving. We have to take inventory of what we have, what we'll need."

He nodded, a small smile curving his own lips. "The bolts look good," he said, grateful.

Kagome easily shrugged. "I cleaned and sharpened them while I was working on my own arrows. No big deal." She playfully winked, adding, "But you're welcome."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

It was with some regret that Daryl made the hard decision to leave his pickup truck behind. Instead, he'd ride Merle's motorcycle, while the rest of the group would hitch rides in either the RV or Carol's Cherokee. Gas was hard to come by, so limiting the number of vehicles was necessary. Leaving Merle's motorcycle, however, was not.

"At least our stuff can fit into my backpack," Kagome mused. Said yellow pack was strapped securely to the bike, while her messenger bag was slung across her body. Positioning their combined weapons had been more tricky but not undoable. Currently, she and Daryl were giving the truck a once-over to make sure they didn't leave anything valuable behind.

"Your bag is unnatural," the hunter muttered. He checked under the front seat, hand sweeping underneath for any foreign objects. When he brushed against something soft and silky, his brows furrowed in confusion. He grabbed it.

Indignant, Kagome huffed. "My bag is not unnatural," she grumbled. She opened the glove compartment, and a small article of clothing fell to the floorboard. Her brows furrowed and she reached down to pick it up.

Then, as one, they showed their sudden find.

"Panties," Kagome said, blinking rapidly. "Two pairs of… panties." The one Daryl held were cheeky boy shorts that were violet and silky. The pair she held was a fire-engine red thong made of delicate lace.

Her expression abruptly turned deadpanned. "Really, Daryl? Panties? How many are you keeping in here?" she asked.

The smirk he gave her was downright naughty. "I really am gonna miss this truck." He snatched the pair she held and placed both in his back pocket. "I was lookin' for those, by the way."

"Hey, those are mine," she protested, almost hopping across the seats to retrieve them. Daryl was too fast, however, and he retreated a safe distance from her grabby hands. "Daryl!"

All she heard in response were his soft, deep chuckles. She pouted.

"Jerk."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Her butt was getting numb from the continued vibrations of the motorcycle, but Kagome didn't complain. She just tightened the hold she had around Daryl's waist, snuggling her head between his shoulder blades. The wind whipped around them, warm and dry. She was thankful she'd tied her hair into a high ponytail otherwise the raven colored strands would've lashed her face silly.

At the moment, she was just thankful she could take a moment to enjoy the Sun. Enjoy the Sun with the guy who was beginning to mean everything to her. They might not be able to do the same thing again. _Enjoy the little things_. She had learned to do that while traveling around Feudal Japan with her companions.

Sometimes, Kagome wished she had done a little more of that instead of constantly fighting for her life. But it hadn't been called the Warring States Era because it was peaceful. And she'd had a duty to fulfill.

 _Now it was just about survival_.

Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back, soaking in the Sun's rays. With the sound of the motorcycle drumming in her ears, with her arms wrapped around the guy she cared deeply about, and with a group of people she was mostly beginning to accept, Kagome let a small smile appear.

 _Enjoy the little things_.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Daryl knew what Kagome was doing, what she was feeling. Her emotions had always been displayed easily – or at least to him it was. He didn't need to look back to know she was enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. When she was out on her own, her guard had to remain up and alert. She didn't have the luxury of just relaxing and taking a deep breath.

Now that they were together once more, she did. Daryl would make sure Kagome had more moments like these. They were already few and far between. He'd watch her back, make sure she was safe, like he knew she would do for him.

As the miles added up, his thoughts drifted.

At first, he'd wanted to gut Rick. The former Sheriff had admitted to imprisoning Merle on the roof of a building getting swarmed with Walkers. The only protection came in the form of a chained door. Nobody had wanted to save the oldest Dixon either.

But Rick had volunteered to go, like Daryl had pointed out to Kagome. The other man had been reunited with his wife and son against all odds, yet had wanted to go back for a man he clearly didn't like. And all because it had been the right thing to do. Rick had done right by Daryl. He didn't have to do half the things he did, but had. The hunter found that honorable, almost something to admire too.

Maybe, he thought, maybe having a leader like Rick wouldn't be so bad. It was definitely an improvement from how Shane ran things, the controlling bastard. Being a part of a sizeable group was also added protection, extra eyes to keep watch of the surroundings.

It was something to seriously consider, anyway. Daryl now had Kagome to think about. What was best for her? Sure, they could go off on their own to search for Merle. But they didn't have any good, solid leads, and too much time had passed since then and now. It wouldn't be smart, and they – _he_ – had to play it smart. For her. For Kagome.

He released one of the motorcycle's handlebars to place his hand over her clasped ones around his waist. She turned one enough to link their fingers, and he smiled.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

"This doesn't look good," Kagome murmured, eyes focused on the traffic problem laid out in front of them. Daryl carefully maneuvered the bike around the abandoned cars along the interstate as the others followed behind. The scent of rotting corpses had her nose scrunching in disgust but it was, unfortunately, not unfamiliar to her.

Daryl kept his gaze focused on their surroundings. "Yeah," he gruffly agreed. "Gonna be a bitch getting through this, especially with that RV." There were too many places for Walkers to be hiding, waiting for unsuspecting prey. Riding through all of it made him edgy.

Kagome released her hold on him to grab her bow, notching an arrow in preparation. She knew Daryl would have a hard time aiming his crossbow while steering, so it was up to her to keep them safe as they navigated through the wreckage.

It wasn't long, however, before they noticed the RV smoking and coming to a complete stop. Kagome patted Daryl's shoulder, and he pulled over to see what happened.

"Now what?" he muttered, impatient. The longer they stayed on the highway, the more exposed they became.

Dale came out of the RV, cursing and waving his hat to clear the smoke. "Damn it," he said, frustrated. "Damn it. I knew it. I knew this would happen sooner than later. Dead in the water, I tell you."

Rick came up as everyone gathered around the RV. "What's the problem, Dale?" he asked.

"Radiator hose burst again. Where the hell am I gonna find another one?"

Shane gestured to the abandoned vehicles surrounding them. "If you can't find a radiator hose here…"

"We could scavenge supplies," Kagome said, shrugging. "We could at least check it out while we're looking for parts." Everyone seemed to agree, finding merit behind the suggestion.

"We could siphon more fuel from these cars, for a start," T-Dog said.

Carol added, "Maybe some water?"

Lori seemed to be the only one with a problem with the plan. "It's like a graveyard," she slowly said, clearly uncomfortable. "I don't know how I feel about this."

"We're going to need the supplies if we want to keep going," Kagome gently pointed out. She could understand the reluctance, but survival was paramount. "And if not us, someone else certainly will."

Shane called out, "You heard her. Gather what you can, y'all."

Kagome watched as Dale enlisted Glenn to help with the RV. "Sometimes, the points get corroded," the older man explained. He handed the Korean male a screwdriver. "Radiator hose clamp is always a flat-head."

Rick took up watch with a rifle behind the RV, while Dale climbed to his post on the roof.

Her eyes eventually landed on Andrea, the quiet blonde woman who hadn't spoken much at the CDC. She had obviously gone through something traumatic, and Kagome couldn't blame her time of mourning… _However, she makes it obvious she doesn't like doing the mundane_. Andrea was doing a half-assed job looking through the cars. And when she gave up searching altogether to go back into the RV, Kagome softly snorted through her nose.

"Somethin' wrong?" Daryl asked, coming up from behind. He'd seen the same thing as Kagome, and mentally rolled his eyes. Andrea was going to be a problem, at least until she got her head out of her ass.

"Nothing that won't correct itself in time," she responded. She turned a smile onto the hunter. "Weren't you going to get fuel with T-Dog?"

He grunted as his affirmative. "Stay close to me."

"After I check those cars." With that, Kagome walked away to thoroughly search the cars that Andrea previously had. Unlike the blonde woman, she knew any supplies were important for the whole of the group, not just the individual.

Daryl rolled his eyes but joined her.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome**_

"What are we looking for, Miss Gome?" Sophia curiously asked, watching the young Asian woman look through the contents of a car trunk. The little girl was happy Kagome had made it out of the CDC safely and was now part of their group. She had been so scared when facing the possibility of getting blown up, but Kagome had faced the danger with calm and poise. She'd even been able to talk Doctor Jenner into letting them live. Sophia had found that inspiring and brave.

Kagome hummed, eyes scanning the clothes she'd found. It needed a good washing but it was otherwise fine. If no one could wear it, they'd make good rags and impromptu bandages.

"We're just looking for anything that can be used. Food would be good, and water. Medical supplies would be great."

Carol approached, curious. She smiled as she picked up a red top, holding it up to her chest. "Ed never let me wear nice things like this," she said. She showed the find to Lori, who still looked unnerved about what they were doing.

"Keep it, then," Kagome said, smiling at Carol.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," the older woman instantly protested. "I mean – Where would I even wear it to? It's silly and not practical at all."

Kagome scoffed good-naturedly. "Carol, come on. I'd kill for chocolate. Wouldn't you call that silly and not practical?"

Lori's expression seemed to lighten at the comment. She even chuckled. "Honey, that's just called being a sane woman." From her side, Carl wrinkled his nose, not understanding what one had to do with the other.

"Fair enough," she laughed.

Still fingering the fabric, Carol smiled down at it. The company she kept was good too. Lori had been the best friend she'd needed, and Kagome was sweet and kind. Sophia also adored her, which was always a plus to Carol.

Sophia lightly tugged on her mother's shirt sleeve. When her mother glanced in her direction, she gave a small, timid smile. "You should keep it, Mama," she encouraged. "It'll look nice on you."

"You think so?" Surprise colored her expression, not expecting her daughter to say something like that. But Carol had also noticed that Sophia had been opening up more and more since Ed's death. It was nice to see. It gave Carol hope for a better tomorrow.

Sophia nodded happily. "I do. Like Miss Gome said, keep it."

"Well, alright then," she chuckled. "I will. We should find something for you, too, Sophia."

"Okay," the little girl enthused.

Glenn suddenly hollered for joy, which caught everyone's attention. Kagome smiled, seeing the Korean male celebrate his and Shane's find.

"Looks like we solved our water problem," she said, pleased.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Kagome had left Lori and Carol with the children to search for Daryl when her senses started tingling in an alarming way. She instantly stopped where she was, focusing, amethyst eyes sharpening as she took in the surroundings. The hand that held her bow tightened.

The air had suddenly stilled, and the sounds of birds were gone. She couldn't even hear insects chirping. Everything went eerily quiet. Each puff of breath she released felt like a mini explosion in the deafening silence. The very atmosphere crackled with anticipation.

 _Walkers_ , her mind supplied. Her eyes narrowed, concentrating. _A big group of them_. And they were headed straight for their scattered people. There was no way of alerting them all at once without creating too much attention and noise.

"Get under the car," Daryl hissed quietly from behind.

Kagome didn't startle, didn't take a step to do as he ordered. She looked at the hunter from over her shoulder. "What about the others?" she hissed back. She was mostly referring to Sophia and Carl and their mothers. The others she wasn't too concerned about. They knew how to defend themselves.

"Rick's got'em," Daryl answered. From his height advantage, he was able to see farther than she, and he checked the progress of the incoming herd. He cursed under his breath when he saw a struggling T-Dog. "Get under the car. I gotta help T-Dog."

"I can help, too," she protested.

Daryl used one hand to grip her elbow, his crystal blue eyes direct and piercing. "Kags, don't argue with me right now. That herd's not waitin' for anyone, so you need to hide. Alright?"

Kagome bit her lip. She could just disobey Daryl, but he looked so serious and determined. Her priestess powers might solve the entire Walker problem, but… but it would only take her missing one. Just one overlooked Walker and they could lose someone, anyone. It was safer to let the herd pass them quietly. If things went according to plan, this dangerously terrifying experience would be over in minutes.

Sighing, she nodded. "Okay. But be safe, Daryl."

He smirked and pecked her on the lips. "Always. Now, get under the car. They're comin'."

"I'll be fine. Go help T-Dog." By the time she bellied under the nearest car, palms heating against the hot asphalt, Daryl was already gone and on his way to assist the other man. Kagome wiggled and squirmed into place and, when she figured she was in the perfect position, she pulled a hunting knife from a hidden sheath.

She was as ready as she could be to face the passing herd of Walkers. She just hoped everyone else made it out okay.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

He couldn't believe he was doing this. He couldn't believe he was actually trying to save the one partially responsible for abandoning Merle on a rooftop. But what choice did Daryl have? Like Rick, T-Dog had tried to do right by the younger Dixon brother. He had gone back for a man who would've beaten him black-and-blue if given the chance. And, in retrospect, he had chained the door to prevent Walkers from getting to Merle. Daryl supposed all of that had to be worth something, especially since anyone else – like Shane – would've left Merle with nothing. Would have maybe even killed him in an act of 'mercy.' T-Dog's actions had at least given the older Dixon a fighting chance.

Gritting his teeth, crossbow aimed and ready, Daryl swiftly yet silently made his way to T-Dog. The struggling male was losing blood fast, his shirt stained with the crimson liquid. It was attracting unwanted attention, and Daryl would have to think fast.

 _Shit_. There was no way either man would have time to climb under a car to get away from the herd. They needed a Plan B.

T-Dog's eyes widened when he caught sight of Daryl, but was smart enough not to make a noise. Instead, his eyes darted around frantically, trying to figure out a way to get out of their current mess. One hand was clamped over his bleeding wound, the cut deep and stinging like Hell's fire. The flow of blood didn't appear as though it would slow anytime soon either, each spurt matching every beat of his racing heart.

Daryl held up a finger to his lips, the universal sign for 'quiet.' Slinging his crossbow around to lay across his back, he grabbed T-Dog and urged him to lie down on the hot asphalt. He only had precious few seconds to do what he needed to, so he worked fast.

Without hesitating, he dragged a corpse out of one of the nearby abandoned cars. He placed it over T-Dog, who was giving him an incredulous look. Daryl ignored him, and easily dragged over two more corpses, his eyes darting back to keep track of the approaching herd.

The first wave of Walkers was too close for comfort. Cursing under his breath, the hunter dragged one more corpse out of a car. Using the pile he'd placed over T-Dog, Daryl laid down next to it and pulled the body over his. He hoped the number of dead bodies were enough to camouflage the scent of fresh blood and their own living scent.

As the herd began walking passed their position, Daryl tensed, holding his breath. His only comfort came from the knowledge that Kagome was as well-hidden as she could be.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome**_

The sheer amount of Walkers had her reconsidering her earlier thoughts. Maybe using her priestess powers would've been the better option. Although, it would mean exposing she _had_ powers. Daryl didn't even know about them, let alone her adventures through time.

Kagome bit her bottom lip, fingers tightening on the handle of the knife. Her palm was beginning to sweat but her grip was sure, solid. Despite her thoughts, she knew it wouldn't be smart to expose herself now. The herd was almost completely passed her and the group. Hiding had definitely been the best choice, especially since she wasn't prepared to talk about her past and her special abilities.

For one thing, there would be a lot of questions she didn't want to answer yet. And second – the most important reason – she didn't trust Shane. The former deputy was becoming unhinged, and that made him dangerous and unpredictable.

Kagome took a deep, silent breath then released it slowly. Thinking about someone's mental instability could wait. She had more important issues to worry about, like wondering if Daryl and T-Dog were okay.

When the end of the herd passed, she waited a few extra moments, knowing stragglers could still be wandering around. It would just take one spotting her to rally multiple, so the raven haired beauty had to be cautious.

However, Kagome threw that thought immediately out the window when she heard a frightened scream.

 _Sophia!_

Without a second thought, she rolled out from under the vehicle, knife poised and fluidly thrusting into the brain of one Walker that was a little too close. Kagome turned, eyes tracking, until she spotted the fleeing little girl, then she was running too. Heart in her throat, she helplessly watched as two Walkers chased Sophia down into a ditch and into the surrounding forest. The only shred of comfort Kagome felt was watching Rick also give chase.

Seconds later, Kagome disappeared into the woods, too.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl**_

Standing on the roof of a car, the hunter used a hand to shade his eyes from the burning Sun. His crystal blue gaze trailed along the forest line, hoping to see Kagome, Sophia, and/or Rick. The former Sheriff had followed the little girl after a couple of Walkers had found her, and Kagome had followed the two.

Daryl scowled. _I'm gonna put a leash on that woman_ , he mentally swore. He was getting a little tired of losing track of the raven haired beauty. First, at the beginning of the Walker invasion, then at the CDC, and now this.

Despite his feelings, however, he didn't run after Kagome or the others. Right now, the best option was to stay with the group. The last thing anyone needed was everyone taking off and getting lost in the woods or just passing each other without realizing it.

He hated it, but Daryl had to wait. Besides, he trusted Kagome to know what she was doing, and Rick, too. If Sophia stood a chance out there, it would be with both or either of them.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Sophia**_

She had tried to stay on the correct course. She had done her best to follow Mr. Grimes's instructions. They had been clear and precise, despite his focus being split between her and the approaching Walkers. She had wanted Mr. Grimes to shoot them, but his explanation for why not made sense. The last thing she wanted was to attract more danger.

Most of all, Sophia had tried to be brave.

But it was so hard. When you were frightened all the time, it was extremely hard to be brave. Sophia had no idea what to do, how to change. Her father had been scary, even scarier than the Walkers most days. But when he'd died, she'd been relieved. Her mama had grieved, for many reasons, but Sophia had been relieved. Walkers always tried to attack and eat them, but everyone understood and could prepare. Her father? She was never sure what he would do next. And that had frightened her, a lot.

 _What would Miss Gome do?_ She wondered, even as she struggled to stay on the right path Mr. Grimes had laid out.

A branch snapping had Sophia abruptly stopping in her tracks, holding her doll tightly to her chest. Eyes wide in panic, she stopped breathing. Staying quiet was the key to not attracting unwanted attention, had steered multiple Walkers away before.

 _But what if it didn't work this time?_ Her mind supplied, obviously scared and irrational. She couldn't just stand there. Mr. Grimes was taking care of the two from the highway; she was on her own. _I don't want to die!_

Veering to the side, desperate to hide, to escape, Sophia started running.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

She didn't know how long she ran for, but Sophia was beginning to tire. The uneven terrain was making her legs feel heavy, her feet weighing down more and more with each step. She knew holding the doll was also slowing her down, making her arm feel stiff, but there was no way she was letting it go. It was her lifeline.

Suddenly, the familiar shuffling and groaning of a Walker had Sophia pausing, her breath stuttering in her lungs. She looked frantically around for it, wanting it in her sights versus having it sneak up on her.

It didn't take long. The Walker, male, was heading straight towards her. The sheer focus and bloodlust she could see in his eyes was terrifying. For something supposedly dead, it had a surprising amount of conscience.

"Sophia, get down," Kagome's voice called out from somewhere behind the little girl.

Sophia dropped down in a crouch without thinking about it, relieved that someone – Miss Gome, in particular – had been the one to find her. Her arms came up to shield her head, the doll pressed comfortingly to her temple. She closed her eyes.

Kagome caught the attention of the Walker, and narrowed her eyes on the target. The string of her bow pulled tight, she released the arrow in the next second. Her aim was true, and the Walker fell with her arrow lodged dead-center in its forehead.

The thump of the body hitting the ground had Sophia opening her eyes. Not wanting to see the corpse, she turned to face Kagome, who was scanning their surroundings with a critical eye. Another arrow was already loaded and ready.

"Miss-Miss Gome," Sophia said.

The raven haired beauty smiled reassuringly. "We've been looking for you, Sophia," she said in greeting. Deeming the area safe for now, she shouldered her bow. Not wanting the little girl to think about it too much, Kagome pulled the arrow out of the Walker, trying her best to block the gruesome view. "Come on. We should start heading back to the others." She softly frowned, checking the position of the Sun then looking around the forest. "We're a bit far. I don't think we're going to make it back before sunset."

"How-How did you find me?" Sophia asked. With the hand not holding her precious doll, she gripped one of Kagome's hands, making sure it wasn't her dominant one. If another Walker showed up, Sophia didn't want to be a burden when Kagome tried to pull out her knife and couldn't.

The two started walking, Kagome squeezing the younger girl's hand soothingly. "I tracked you," she answered, not exactly lying. She may not have the tracking skills that Daryl possessed but she could still use her priestess abilities to find a lost girl in the forest. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Sophia shook her head. "No. Mr. Grimes made sure those Walkers didn't get me. And you got rid of that one." She tilted her head back to indicate the corpse. "Thank you," she gratefully said.

Kagome smiled. "No problem." Glancing around where they were again, she softly sighed. "We should find shelter somewhere. It'll be dark before you know it, and we don't want to be stumbling around out here when that happens."

"Okay."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl & Rick**_

He could tell that Sophia had followed Rick's directions just fine. Why she veered off the path, Daryl couldn't begin to guess, but the most likely answer was simple: She'd been scared out of her mind. If she heard even a slight rustle in the bushes, she would've taken off in the opposite direction. It was the only explanation. It was logical and rational and, quite frankly, Daryl wouldn't have blamed her.

The hunter listened as Rick instructed Shane and Glenn to go back to the others. It made sense. The others would be worrying, especially Carol, and Daryl didn't feel like tracking any more people through the woods when he already had Sophia and Kagome to look for. He wasn't worried about the latter, but the former didn't have experience to survive out in the open like this.

"You ready?" Rick inquired, gaze steady. Guilt obviously plagued the man for leaving Sophia alone but he was maintaining his composure, because he needed to. He was trying to make things right by doing everything necessary to find the little girl.

Daryl nodded. "Let's do this." He hoisted his crossbow up to lay against his shoulder. With that, the two men continued trekking through the forest.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

After taking down a Walker, Daryl watched as Rick started examining it. "What the Hell are you doin'?" he asked.

"I'm checking under its fingernails for flesh," the former Sheriff answered, resigned but determined to get the job done. "Gotta check the teeth, too, in case…" He trailed off, not wanting to finish but knowing it didn't need to be said.

Daryl scoffed. "If Kagome's found her, Sophia will be just fine," he firmly stated.

"But what if Kagome hasn't found her?" Rick replied. He shook his head. "I'm not taking the chance." Using his gloved hands, he pulled the Walker's jaw down. "It ate recently."

Daryl leaned closer to take a look. "Pretty big meal, too," he reluctantly agreed.

A piece of meat was removed from the teeth, and the two men examined it.

"What kind of flesh do you think this is?" Rick questioned.

"Only one way to find out," was the response.

They traded disgusted but determined glances.

"So," Rick said, "between you and me, who do you think has the sharper knife?"

Daryl smirked, knowing the former Sheriff was trying to lighten the mood with a bit of dark humor. Sometimes, crude and inappropriate jokes were the only way for cops to last as long as they did in their careers; otherwise they burned out too soon.

"Me," the hunter smugly answered. "Mine's bigger, too."

In response, Rick let a small grin curve his mouth up. It wasn't like he was going to fight with the other man for the impromptu autopsy. He liked to believe he was smarter than that.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Daryl was more frustrated than anything when he and Rick had no choice but to stop searching and go back to the highway. The Sun was setting, and both knew it wouldn't be smart to stumble around in the dark. Walkers could sneak up on them; someone could trip and get hurt… There were too many variables, too many risks involved. It would be better if they waited for proper sunlight and a better plan.

"You didn't find anything?" Carol cried, shaking hands covering her mouth.

Rick tried to calm the distraught mother, though knew it would be worthless. "The trail went cold," he explained. "But we're going to go back out there in the morning. We'll find her, Carol."

"No," she said, head moving side-to-side adamantly. "No. I can't leave my little girl out there, alone. She's only twelve! She can't be out there by herself – Not all night!"

Daryl stepped forward. He could understand her worry – any good parent would be in this situation – but there were some things he wouldn't stay quiet about. "Hunting in the dark's no good," he said. "And Sophia isn't the only one out there. If Kagome hasn't come back by now, there's a good chance they're together."

"Would she have gotten lost out there?" Dale asked, worried about both females. Sophia was the bigger concern since she was just a little girl, but that didn't make Kagome any less a part of their group. They had to watch out for each other.

"Naw," the hunter answered, voice confident and self-assured. "Kagome knows her way around a forest. And even if she didn't, she knows how to survive." His eyes locked with Carol's. "She'd keep Sophia safe."

Rick cut back into the conversation. "We'll pick up the search again tomorrow at first light," he promised. "It'll be more organized, and everyone will help out. We'll find both of them."

Carol still didn't look convinced, her gaze trailing to the forest, as if hoping Sophia would magically appear. When she didn't, Carol nearly whimpered and let her eyes drop. At that moment, she noticed the dark stains on Daryl's jeans. "Is… Is that blood?" she asked, horrified.

Daryl didn't say anything, not sure what was safe to say, for one thing.

Rick saved him by answering, "We found a Walker." When Carol made a distressed noise, most likely thinking the worst, he added, "It didn't get Sophia. We checked."

Andrea frowned, perplexed and confused. "What does that mean?"

"We gutted it. What else?" Daryl gruffly answered this time. Not wanting to get into anymore details and wanting to get the blood-encrusted jeans off, he pushed passed the group to change. From behind, he could hear the accusation in Carol's voice as she snapped at Rick, demanding to know why he left her little girl alone in the woods in the first place. Why she blamed the former Sheriff, Daryl wasn't entirely sure, but it wasn't his problem. Being worried and scared was a dangerous combination, and the older woman obviously needed an outlet. It was better to take it out on the one she deemed responsible instead of wallowing in her grief.

Daryl could understand. Not long ago, he'd wanted to kill Rick (and T-Dog) for what had happened to Merle. And later, when Carol cooled off and Sophia was found, she'd realize – just like Daryl eventually did – that Rick had tried to do right by her.

In the meantime, however, he needed to get cleaned up and figure out what he needed to do for the next day. As far as he knew, Kagome didn't have anything on her except her weapons, so that meant she and Sophia didn't have food, water, or any other supplies. Kagome had even left her messenger bag on his motorcycle, having thought she wouldn't need it while they searched the abandoned vehicles.

Placing his hand on the bag, Daryl deeply frowned. For all the worry that woman was putting him through, he figured he should start seriously thinking about that leash. Before, he'd been joking and just frustrated but, after the day's search, he was starting to think the idea had merit.

Shaking his head, he rummaged through the big yellow backpack that also held his few possessions. He needed to change, then he needed to figure out what to bring. If he let his worry for Kagome consume his every thought, he wouldn't get anything done. And, right now, she needed him to get things done.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome & Sophia**_

Kagome had stashed the little girl in a cupboard in the abandoned house they'd found just as night had fallen upon them. A thin pillow and blanket had been added for comfort, but Sophia hated the enclosed space. It was dusty and smelled pretty terrible. But she had to stay where she was. Kagome was checking the rest of the house for Walkers, and Sophia hadn't wanted to get in the way – or come face-to-face with another walking corpse.

An ominous creak had her head snapping up, and she pulled her knees closer to her chest to become smaller in the hopes of camouflaging with the darkness. One hand covered her mouth, not wanting to release the whimpers and screams that threatened to escape. She had to be quiet.

Soon after the creak sounded, there was a muffled crash, a wet slash, and a thump that made Sophia flinch with every sound. Then a voice, indistinct, sounded like they were cursing.

"Miss Gome?" she whispered.

"Don't come out, Sophia," Kagome instructed. There was an odd note to her tone, but the little girl obeyed. "It's a mess out here. I'll clean it up. Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

"Are… Are you sure?"

"Yes, sweetie. Get some sleep. We're going to try to find your mom and the others tomorrow." There was a pause that worried Sophia for some reason she couldn't explain. Kagome continued speaking. "Your mom is going to be so happy to see you. Just think about that, and nothing else. Okay? Everything will be alright. I promise."

Sophia shifted where she sat. "Is-Is everything okay, Miss Gome? You… don't sound like yourself." She nibbled her bottom lip. She wanted to come out of the cupboard, wanted to see for herself that Kagome was okay. But she didn't. An unknown fear had settled within her chest, and some things just couldn't be unseen. Remaining ignorant seemed to be her best option, though she hated how that made her feel like a coward.

Kagome's voice was soft and sweet, a balm Sophia hadn't known she'd needed until that moment. "Everything's fine. Go to sleep, sweetie."

"Okay. Goodnight, Miss Gome," she relented.

Kagome listened as the younger girl shifted in the makeshift bed, settling in for the night. Her lips pressed firmly together, becoming a pale, thin line.

Eyes watering, the raven haired beauty looked down at the bite mark on her forearm. Everything wasn't okay – it wasn't okay, at all.

* * *

* **Special Thanks to** : Thornado, masterbroly, daisynaruto909, chibi-Char, Tubafox, XXkagomeX, Angel4EverLostInLife, YoungWhiteyWolf, save the sharks, kakashixangela, Bunny.W.K, Scarlatta Rain, Guest, SugaryAnarchy, bloodmoon25, Munyue, Vertigo Venom, 917brat, and MOONWOLF1234

* _ **Thornado**_ : I'm glad Kagome's with the group, too! I love her and Daryl (:

* _ **masterbroly**_ : I've got plans for this story, and I'm hoping Sophia will be a part of it ;)

* _ **daisynaturo909**_ : So happy about them being reunited too!

* _ **chibi-Char**_ : Me too! And I think it'll be interesting to see what happens in the future :P

* _ **Tubafox**_ : Lol, your comment made me seriously smile (: I can't wait to see how Kagome interacts with the others as well!

* _ **XXkagomeX**_ : Thank you so much for your kind words! I appreciate it :D

* _ **Angel4EverLostInLife**_ : Here's the next chapter! Hope you liked it (even though it's shorter, haha) :D

* _ **YingWhiteyWolf**_ : Thanks, and thank you for reviewing (: I really appreciate it!

* _ **save the sharks**_ : In the TV series, I was bummed when Sophia died, so I can't wait to see how everything works out in the end :P I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

* _ **kakashixangela**_ : Oh gosh, I'm totally blushing from your review! It's so sweet of you to say, thank you! :D I love Kagome/Daryl fics, so I'm really excited about this – if you couldn't tell, haha! Thank you again for reviewing! (: It's highly appreciated! Also, I totally loved writing that shower scene, too ;)

* _ **Bunny.W.K**_ : I can completely relate! I got back into the series around the time season 7 first started airing and, thankfully, I started the plot for this story a while back. It just took some refining and finally typing it out :P I'm so happy everyone seems to be enjoying it so far! And yes, every moment I get to type involving Kagome and Daryl is the fun part ;) haha!

* _ **Scarlatta Rain**_ : Thank you for your review! And yes, we'll see how that works out in the future (:

* _ **Guest**_ : Sorry this update didn't happen as fast as I wanted, but here it is! Hope you enjoyed it! (:

* _ **SugaryAnarchy**_ : The example was just that, an example :P But we'll see what changes are made in future chapters, especially since Kagome is now in the picture ;)

* _ **bloodmoon25**_ : Thank you so much for your review! It made me smile (: I like how I started this too, it was different and I get to play around with the original plot of the series ;) As for other Inuyasha characters… I won't answer that now, haha! You just never know what will happen, and neither do I (yet) :P but that's the exciting part!

* _ **Munyue**_ : Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate it (:

* _ **Vertigo Venom**_ : Everyone seems to want Sophia to live (which I totally understand), so I was pleasantly surprised you mentioned Merle :D Thanks for that! I hated how he died in the series.

* _ **917brat**_ : Thank you for reviewing! Here's the next update, so I hope you enjoyed it (: I appreciate the kind words!

* _ **MOONWOLF1234**_ : Aw shucks, thanks! To be honest, I've reread it too :D mostly to make sure I was making sense, LOL! Thank you again for reviewing! (:

 _Last but not least,_ _THANK YOU_ _to everyone who followed and added this story to their favorites list! Also, check out my series of one-shots: "Random Subject Prompts" :D Don't forget to review at the bottom! Thank you again!_


	5. Faith

**Disclaimer: Check out Chapter 1 for this – Thank you!**

"The Pathway of Fate"

Chapter 5: Faith

Season 2, Episode 1: "What Lies Ahead"

 **Main Pairing** : Kagome Higurashi/Daryl Dixon

 **Author's Note** : _It's been a little more than a year since I've last updated this story... I am so sorry! A lot has happened, a lot of personal stuff, but I'll try my best not to make you, the loyal readers, wait that long again. Please enjoy, and remember to review at the bottom! I'd love to hear from you guys again (:_

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **The Next Morning**_

At dawn, Kagome had gone out, but not far, to hunt in the woods for Sophia. She knew the little girl had to be practically starving by now, and she knew they would have to travel quite a distance that day. No food equaled no energy.

Now, the raven haired beauty sat before a small fire, dull amethyst orbs watching as the rabbit roasted over the flames on a thin, sharpened stick. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, not caring when the blood from her wound seeped through her makeshift bandage to stain her jeans. It hadn't stopped bleeding since last night but it had slowed a little.

Kagome wasn't sure what to do. She didn't want to tell Sophia, let alone have the younger girl see the bite. She would surely panic and cry, but Kagome needed her to focus and stay alive long enough to get back to their group. It was Sophia's only shot, and Kagome wasn't going to let her down because of this. She'd figure something out.

She had to.

 _Snap!_

In an instant, the raven haired beauty was on her feet and aiming an arrow in the direction the noise came from. Her once-dull gaze was filled with fiery determination and an inner strength she'd thought was gone the moment she'd been bitten by a Walker.

"Who's there?" she called out, eyes narrowed. "Come out. Now."

When the figure stepped out of the tree line, hands raised, and rifle held in the air in a nonthreatening manner, Kagome didn't let down her guard. She tightened the hold she had on her bow, pulling the string taut. Her arrow would shoot straight and true, her hands still and solid.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know, suspicious.

The heavy-set man gulped, clearly nervous. "Otis. M-My name is Otis."

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl & the Others**_

After Rick armed the group and explained how they would search for signs of Sophia and Kagome in the woods, Daryl walked back to his motorcycle to grab Kagome's messenger bag and sling it across his body. He knew she'd want it, and it had supplies if the search party needed something.

The hunter only listened with half an ear as Andrea – once again – demanded her gun back. He rolled his eyes, knowing what the blonde woman was thinking. Unlike Kagome, who thought Andrea's behavior would be fixed given enough time, he didn't have such faith. Andrea was a loose cannon, who thought being able to shoot a gun would make everything better. She was wrong, and Daryl agreed with Rick and the others when they dismissed her request, though for different reasons.

The group, especially Dale, thought Andrea wanted to commit suicide. Losing her younger sister had snapped something inside Andrea, and Dale saving her during the CDC incident hadn't helped matters. If anything, it made things worse. She was bloodthirsty, constantly trying to convince herself she was okay by learning everything she could about shooting and owning a gun. If anything, she was compensating for the numbness she had inside – and that was dangerous. She was going to think of herself first before the welfare of the group.

In all honesty, Daryl wouldn't be surprised if Andrea had already convinced herself that Sophia and Kagome were dead. She most likely thought the search was a waste of time. But it was also an opportunity to get her gun back, so she'd play along with everyone else.

Daryl clenched his jaw as he double-checked his crossbow. If Andrea even made one comment about Kagome being dead, he was finally going to put that blonde in her place. Everyone else was treating her with kid gloves, but Daryl wouldn't. Fuck that.

Kagome was alive. And because Kagome was alive, Sophia was alive too. They were both okay – or would be once they were reunited with the group. Daryl had to have faith – and it had nothing to do with a religious belief or depending upon a higher power. He had faith in Kagome, just like he did from the beginning. It was all he needed.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Kagome**_

"How much further to this farm you mentioned?" Kagome asked, keeping a close eye on Otis, while making sure Sophia stayed by her side. She still had her bow out, ready to take out any targets that came upon them. All she needed was a direction to shoot.

Otis, who was trudging in front, rifle aimed straight ahead, answered, "Not far. Not far, at all. The farm belongs to Hershel Greene. I'm sure he'll be more than able to help you little ladies."

"We're not planning to stick around long," the raven haired beauty stated. "Just long enough to find our friends." She needed Sophia safe then she could figure out what to do about the bite on her arm. So far, she had managed to hide it but it wouldn't be long before the blood seeped through the makeshift bandaging once more.

Sophia quietly, nervously asked, "Miss Gome? Are you sure about this?"

Kagome did her best to smile reassuringly at the young girl. "Don't worry," she whispered, "I'll make sure these people won't hurt you. I promise, Sophia."

Nodding, she silently continued walking, holding her doll protectively to her chest. If Miss Gome had thought Otis was a threat, she would've taken care of it. Sophia knew that to be absolutely true.

But for some unknown reason, she felt as though Kagome was planning to go far, far away soon. And she didn't like the thought of that.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl & the Others**_

Feeling angry and embarrassed about the group dismissing her request for her gun back, Andrea chose to confront Dale instead. The older man always acted like he was on a moral high horse, but she knew the truth. Dale was nothing but an interfering hypocrite who liked to hear himself talk. He at least got to carry a gun, unlike her, so she didn't understand why he kept denying her right to carry her own damned weapon. It didn't belong to him, it didn't belong to anyone else, except her.

From the sidelines, Daryl and the others watched the scene with avid interest. They were mostly uncomfortable, though the hunter was more annoyed. Why Andrea chose now, when they were practically ready to leave, was beyond his realm of understanding. But he could suspect it was because it would make her 'exit' more dramatic. Maybe even make the others feel guilty about taking away her gun, especially when she was going into the woods with them to 'save' Kagome and Sophia.

Rolling his eyes, the hunter scoffed. Andrea didn't need to make this sort of scene to reinforce the fact that she was a bitch and wasn't afraid of flaunting it.

"You took away my only chance of dying peacefully," Andrea continued yelling in Dale's face, not caring who heard. "Just like you took away my gun. You robbed me of my choice to die how and when I wanted to, because you _forced_ me to save your life. What did you expect, Dale? Huh? What did you expect from doing that to me?"

Dale seemed to struggle with a response, and finally settled on, "I don't know. Maybe some gratitude?"

She scoffed, "Gratitude? Let's make one thing clear: I'm not your little girl. I'm not your wife. And I'm sure as Hell not your problem." Her piece said, she stalked off without another look in Dale's direction.

Meanwhile, the others pretended they hadn't heard their conversation. Daryl, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. A part of him could understand Andrea's frustration and anger, but he didn't like the attitude or the chip on her shoulder that came with it. If he planned on staying with the group with Kagome, Andrea needed to stop acting like a selfish bitch that was being victimized by the entire world. The blonde needed to remember that she was a grown-ass woman and start acting like it.

Then again, Daryl didn't believe that was possible for her.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Later That Day**_

It had been hours since the group started their search for Sophia and Kagome. Daryl, who was used to wandering for days in the forest, wasn't too affected by the hike and humidity, but he could tell the others were getting tired and worn out. The only ones who seemed okay were Shane, Rick, and Carl. The hunter wasn't too surprised about the former police officers since their previous job entailed physical fitness, and Carl was young enough that he had energy reserves to keep going. That, and Daryl knew the kid was worried about Sophia.

Hell, the hunter was starting to worry about Kagome, to be honest. He knew she wouldn't travel far at night. She would have found somewhere safe – or easily defensible – until morning. He was starting to second guess their decision of going out to search for her and Sophia. What if they had made their way back to the highway?

Daryl scowled even as he continued to carefully scan the forest floor and shrubbery. At worst, they had just wasted a day of fruitless searching. At best, they would find Kagome and Sophia.

 _Don't matter, anyway_ , he thought. _RV's still busted_. The group, with or without Kagome and Sophia, wouldn't be going anywhere until Dale found all of the parts he needed to fix his mobile home.

Daryl just hoped the missing females were back before that happened. People like Shane would want to move on, writing Kagome and Sophia off as forever lost or already dead. Then there were group members like Andrea who would agree with the former officer because it served her purposes.

Regardless, the hunter refused to travel any further without Kagome. Sophia would be reunited with her mother, and that was final.

Moving some overhanging branches out of his way, Daryl paused when he saw a tent. Stiffening, he raised a fist, signaling the group to halt their progress. There was no way he'd allow himself, let alone the others, fall into a trap or be ambushed.

"What's up?" Rick asked. His voice was low and only meant for Daryl's ears to hear. "Do you think they're inside?"

The hunter brought up his crossbow, aimed and ready. "One way to find out." He didn't like the setup. There wasn't any sense of life to the area, and Kagome was nowhere to be seen. He was positive she would've heard the group's approach and come out if she was inside. "Get Carol just in case." As unlikely as it seemed, Sophia could still be alone and hiding.

Rick nodded, seeing the benefit of having Carol call out for her daughter versus one of them. Scared, Sophia may not respond but she would if she heard her mother's voice.

While Rick softly instructed Carol on what to do, Daryl stealthily moved closer to the tent. He closely examined the flimsy structure, checking for holes or any signs of use or disturbances. Finding none, he stood to the side of the entrance, pulling out his hunting knife.

"Sophia," Carol weakly called out, clutching the strap of her bag. Hope colored her tone, shined in her desperate eyes. "Sophia. It's mommy. Are you in there? Sweetie, it's us. You can come out now. You're safe."

Not even a rustle was heard from inside the tent.

Daryl gave Rick a look. When the former sheriff gave a single nod, the hunter cautiously unzipped the entrance. Swiftly slipping inside, knife poised and raised, it didn't take long to realize that there wasn't any danger.

The smell alone painted a disgusted scowl on his face, and he sheathed his blade. There was nothing in the tent worth taking, except the handgun the former owner had used. Daryl grabbed it and was stashing it in the back of his jeans when he exited.

"Anything?" Rick asked.

Carol, in despair, inquired, "Sophia…?"

Daryl shook his head. "Nah," he answered. "Just like Kagome and Doctor Jenner said: guy inside 'opted out'."

"We'll continue our search then," Rick said with finality. "We'll find Sophia." His eyes locked with Daryl's. "And we'll find Kagome. Let's move."

The hunter nodded, appreciating that the former sheriff was putting as much importance in finding Kagome as Sophia. While looking for a missing child was a higher priority, it was also clear that Rick already considered the raven haired beauty as a valued member of the group. Daryl accepted and appreciated the gesture.

Now it was time to get back to searching for the missing girls.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Greene Farm – With Kagome & Sophia**_

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Hershel and his family were good people. But Kagome didn't take any chances, especially since she was leaving Sophia with them, if only temporarily.

Otis and Patricia were nice, and Patricia had helped Hershel with his veterinary practice before the world had decided the dead should walk again. Maggie, Hershel's oldest daughter, was a tomboy and smart. Kagome could instinctively tell that Maggie would be a lot like Sango, so becoming friends would be easy and natural. Beth was a sweetheart, a little awkward and shy. In some ways, the youngest Greene girl reminded Kagome of Rin. Lastly, there was Jimmy, Beth's boyfriend. He seemed eager to please, wanting to be helpful around the farm, like an overgrown puppy.

"Thank you for allowing Sophia to stay here," Kagome said to Hershel once Beth led Sophia away to clean up and rest. Patricia and Maggie were in the kitchen, while Jimmy went outside to chop more firewood upon Hershel's request. The raven haired beauty stood in the living room with Hershel and Otis, knowing this conversation was important and needed.

Hershel nodded. "It's not a problem," he said. "Otis tells me he found you two and looked as though you needed help."

"We got separated from our group. We were on the highway when one of our vehicles broke down. As we were searching for parts and supplies, a herd of Walkers blazed through."

"I know which highway you're talking about. There's a huge pileup. Do you think your group is still there?"

Kagome's brows furrowed. "They could be," she conceded. "I think they'd search for us, so it's important we find them." How long they would search was the real question, though she had faith Daryl wouldn't give up.

Hershel nodded in agreement. His wise, old eyes stared at the young woman before him. "Why are you leaving the girl here? You could take her with you." It was curious. Why would she leave a child with a bunch of strangers? He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Were you bitten?" It seemed like a logical conclusion – and it made the most sense. If she was worried about turning while in the company of a defenseless child, leaving her somewhere else gave her a higher chance of survival. Staying in one place could also up the chances of the group finding the farm, thus Sophia.

The smile that appeared on the raven haired beauty's face was enigmatic. However, all she said was, "I still have a few hours of daylight left. I really appreciate you and your family watching Sophia for me." She bowed formally, a show of respect and gratitude. "Thank you again. I'll try to make it back before I'm missed."

The Greene patriarch pursed his lips, but accepted her words. "You're welcome," he gruffly replied. Although mysterious, he could learn to really like Kagome. She had a good head on her shoulders. He could tell that much by just spending a few minutes in her presence. "Come back in time for dinner. You understand?"

Kagome straightened. Her unique amethyst eyes shined with amusement. "I understand, Mr. Greene. I'll see you and your family later."

"Good." He nodded once in satisfaction.

Without another word, Kagome left the warm, comfortable house. She hadn't wanted to leave Sophia behind like that, but she had been feeling a little feverish since that morning. It had only gotten worse as the day wore on, the Sun steadily making its way across the sky. Now she was sure the infection was making its way throughout her veins, making her sicker until she finally died. She'd seen it all before.

Eyes set in determination she walked across the field, headed back into the forest. Finding the group and reuniting Carol with Sophia was her first priority. She would do it even if it was the last thing she did.

And in the meantime Kagome would figure out a way to say goodbye to Daryl.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl & the Others**_

When the church bells started ringing, the group had been overjoyed. They all had taken it as a signal that Sophia was trying to catch their attention, let them know she was nearby and safe. Daryl wasn't as hopeful, but he followed because it seemed like too much of a coincidence to pass up. His uncertainty mostly came from the fact that Kagome would never draw attention like that to her position. She wouldn't have risked Sophia's safety for any reason.

Entering the small Baptist church, Daryl, Rick, and Shane made quick work of the Walkers gathered inside. Due to the lack of steeple, which Shane kept shouting about, it was doubtful it was the correct church but they continued inside anyway.

"Sophia," Daryl called out. "Kagome!"

"They're not here," Shane insisted once more, scowling. "This isn't the right church. There has to be another one around here, somewhere."

It didn't take long for the group to find no traces of Sophia and/or Kagome. Daryl was close to kicking one of the benches, frustrated. He'd known neither would be present but it was still disheartening to be faced with another dead end.

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

The sound of the bells jangling again caught their attention. They stiffened, realizing the sound was coming from their location but unable to pinpoint where the noise was originating from.

"Find it and shut it off," Rick ordered, already rushing back outside to find the source. Glenn was on his heels, as were Daryl and Shane.

Around the side of the building, they discovered the automated bell toll. With a disgusted, frustrated sound, Glenn unhooked the wires. The chiming instantly stopped, and it was almost too quiet now after the ruckus it had caused.

"It was on a damned timer," Daryl growled, mostly to himself. Now what?

In a defeated voice, Carol announced, "I'm going back inside the church for a while." Carl, Rick, and Glenn followed the distraught woman, not wanting her to be alone. Everyone was downtrodden and needed a break.

Daryl hesitated, his immediate instinct to continue searching for Kagome and Sophia. However, the last thing they needed was their group splitting up even more. They had already left Dale and T-Dog behind with the RV.

Not seeing another option, he headed into the church with the others. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, though, when he saw Lori and Shane go off to the side to have a private conversation. Andrea, on the other hand, had taken a seat in the shade but her own gaze was locked on the former lovers.

As the hunter reentered the church, he couldn't help but think that he really didn't like the calculating gleam in the blonde woman's eyes.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

Inside, Daryl watched with an unreadable expression as Carol knelt before the statue of Jesus and begged Him to punish her instead of Sophia. She pleaded for Him to spare her fearful daughter, begging to give her the chance to raise her right and to not make the same mistakes Carol had. The older woman confessed to praying for Ed's death and, because of her wicked deed, she now feared for Sophia's safety and salvation. She wanted – and wished – for mercy concerning her young child.

Daryl wasn't sure what the point was. Out of everyone, he knew bad things happened to good people. Sophia was innocent, as was Kagome, but he believed in grasping for what one wanted with both hands and never letting go.

God wasn't going to do that. To Daryl's way of thinking, if there really was a God out there, anywhere, He would have never let the world end like this. The virus that infected the population and allowed the dead to walk once more to devastate countless lives would have never been released.

Finally, the hunter looked away from Carol. Kagome had grown up on a shrine in Japan. She had learned the ancient arts of spiritual guidance and practices born to priestesses. While he didn't understand where her faith came from, he could believe that there was hope for humanity. Praying to a Higher Power for intervention, for salvation, for answers, wasn't for him.

But maybe having a strong, unwavering faith in the right people was.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

After it was decided that the search party would split up into smaller groups, Rick calmly walked back into the small church. He wasn't ready to call it a day yet. Sophia and Kagome hadn't been found, and they were fresh out of clues and guesses to where the two could be. The former sheriff just needed a moment alone to get his head straightened.

As a cop, he knew the first twenty-four hours were the most important when investigating a missing individual – or in this case two individuals. Finding them would be harder because of the world's current circumstances but it wasn't impossible. Or so Rick told himself.

Locating and reuniting Sophia and Carol was the top priority, but Kagome had proven to be a valued member of their group. The raven haired beauty had helped them escape the CDC, and she hadn't hesitated to help Sophia when she had been spotted by Walkers on the highway. Those selfless acts had shown Rick everything he'd needed to know about her.

She was… integral. And not just to Daryl, and not just because of what she had done so far for the group. Doctor Jenner's whispered words floated through Rick's mind. Her blood could be the answer they all had been hoping – praying – for. He didn't understand how or why. He wasn't a scientist, he wasn't a doctor. He didn't know anything about chemical reactions, mixing unknown substances, or peering through microscopes to stare at colored, oblong shapes in equally colorful liquids for countless hours. It was all written and coded into a foreign language not seen on Earth as far as he knew.

But Kagome… Kagome might have the answer. She may know what Doctor Jenner was talking about. She may even be the answer humanity needed in these uncertain and dangerous times.

Rick stopped and stared at the statue of Jesus on the cross. "I guess you already know I'm not much of a believer," he started, feeling slightly foolish but determined to say what he needed to let out. His faith in God had all but run out but the act itself was cleansing. "Thing is, I could use a little something to help keep us going. Some kind of acknowledgement, some indication I'm doing the right thing." He wanted to find Sophia and Kagome, safe. He didn't want to lose anymore members of the group. He wanted to protect his family, keep them whole.

He wanted a lot of damned things. His inner cop, the cynic, knew he couldn't have it all.

Turning, Rick gave one last look at the statue. "Hey," he added, "look, I don't need all the answers. Just a sign. Any sign will do." With that, he exited the church to continue the search with Carl and Shane.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Daryl & the Others**_

He was so busy mentally grumbling and bitching about the group being further split up, Daryl barely noticed when Carol started expressing her frustration at the lack of new leads that would help them find Sophia. It was Andrea, however, verbally attacking Lori that finally gained his attention enough to stop his inward ranting.

Scowling, he wanted to roll his eyes. The remaining members of the search party had stopped, Carol losing hope of finding Sophia and becoming more angry at Rick's incompetence, so Andrea – like she did with Dale – chose that moment to criticize Lori for having a gun while she remained unarmed and denied one for two days.

Who gave a fuck? Daryl thought, highly annoyed and irritated enough that he gave serious consideration to lobbing his own harsh words at the blonde woman. Why did she get to feel so entitled when barely anyone else could carry a gun? Most had been stashed with Dale, and everyone seemed fine with the decision – except Andrea, of course.

Daryl opened his mouth, deciding – fuck it – he was going to give her a piece of his mind, but Lori stopped him with her sudden actions.

The darker haired woman, obviously angered, didn't hesitate when she took the gun out from where she'd placed it. She handed it to Andrea, challenge in her eyes. "You want it? I'm tired of all the looks you all are givin' me," she said. She included Carol within her gaze. "You need to stop blaming Rick for what happened to Sophia. He can see it – Hell, everyone can see it whenever you look at him with those accusing eyes. He's the only one who went after your little girl. Him, and Kagome. No one else ran after her the way they did."

At that, everyone else looked down, ashamed, including Daryl. He'd been buried under dead bodies to hide his scent. When he'd heard Sophia screaming for help, he'd known Walkers had to have found her but couldn't move. It wouldn't have been safe, and he'd had an injured T-Dog to worry about. But it wasn't an excuse, and he knew it. He accepted it, which was partially why he was trying so hard to find Sophia and Kagome, now.

Lori continued speaking, becoming passionate and forceful. She hated the situation they were all in. She wished none of it had happened. But this was reality – her reality – so she had to swallow it and keep going.

"I'm tired of you all not trusting my family." She paused for the barest second, making it clear how thin her patience was. "If you wanna leave, you're free to any time you want."

The words seemed to wiggle something loose in Andrea. With a guilty expression, she silently handed the gun back to Lori.

The Grimes matriarch accepted it with a small nod, and placed it once more in the back of her jeans.

Carol also gave Lori an apologetic glance, saying with just her eyes that she would stop thinking of Rick as the bad guy. Her own guilt and anger at not being able to protect her daughter had been eating away at her conscience. The former sheriff had been a handy target, and she regretted that, especially when she honestly considered everything he'd done afterwards.

Now that estrogen wasn't flying in all directions, and raging emotions had been aired and seemingly cleared, Glenn cleared his throat. Between him and Daryl, it was obvious the Korean male would be less likely to earn a scornful look from the ladies at the interruption. He was softer, one could say, compared to the hunter's rough and tough exterior.

"We should continue back to the highway," he said.

With nods of agreement, Daryl led the way once more without a word.

 _Thank Christ_ , he couldn't help thinking. If that had continued, he might've 'opted out' just to get away from a potential cat fight. If a physical altercation had broken out, there was no way he was getting in the middle to stop it.

After all, from his own personal experience sparring with Kagome, Daryl knew women fought dirty.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Baptist Church – With Kagome**_

Using the back of one wrist, Kagome wiped the sweat from her brow. However, despite the obvious sign of perspiration, her skin was clammy and she could feel shivers racing up and down her spine. Her fever was getting worse. Time was slipping too quickly through her fingers. She hadn't found Rick and the others. She hadn't reunited Sophia and Carol.

She hadn't found Daryl.

Entering the long-abandoned church, the raven haired beauty panted lightly as she shut the heavy doors behind her. She just needed a moment to rest. Just a few minutes to catch her breath before she went out again to search for the others. The highway couldn't be much further than her current position. All Kagome had to do was find that long strip of road and she'd be that much closer to finding everyone.

 _I can do this_ , she thought, determined. She had to do this. It was the only option.

There was a slight sway to her steps as she closed the distance between herself and the statue of Jesus. Although it wasn't the deity that Kagome normally prayed to, she wasn't going to be picky. At one point or another since the dead started walking, she'd worshipped countless deities to keep her faith strong and to survive traumatic experiences. It was the only thing keeping her sane.

"I don't think I've prayed in a long time," she started out loud, amethyst eyes focused on the statue. "I have a confession to make, if you're willing to listen…"

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Rick, Shane, and Carl**_

Rick was keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of the missing girls as he continued walking with Shane and his son through the woods. He wasn't an expert tracker the way Daryl was, but his years of being in law enforcement helped in situations like these. It wasn't his first time looking for a lost child, though the circumstances were very different and a lot more dangerous. All the former Sheriff wanted was to find Sophia – and Kagome – safe and unharmed.

His last words to the statue of Jesus replayed within his mind. He was still waiting for a sign that his prayers had been received.

 _Snap!_

The sound of a twig snapping caught Rick's attention, and he instantly looked in the direction it had come from. He didn't have to look to know Shane was doing the same, both men keeping Carl within sight.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Baptist Church – With Kagome**_

A single tear rolled down her cheek but went unnoticed. "I lost my faith," she said, with a gut-wrenching honesty that was torturous. With the flat of one hand, she thumped the appendage against her chest, right over her heart. "Why?" she cried out, more tears leaking down her face.

" _Why would I be reunited with Daryl only to get bitten?_ _Answer me!_ "

She'd seen – too many times – what happened to people who were bitten. The sickness and inevitable death was nothing compared to the grief and sheer loss that those who cared about them felt in the aftermath. She couldn't do that – not to Daryl. He'd already lived through so much. How could she leave him like that? She'd made him so many promises…

Suddenly, a boiling anger seemed to take control of Kagome's body. With a scream of frustration, she kicked out with a foot that glowed with her priestess powers. The heavy church bench skidded and fell on its side – exposing the unmoving corpses.

And the crossbow bolt imbedded within one head.

The abrupt surge of rage evaporated. "Daryl," she gasped out, eyes widening with shock. And hope. "He must've been here." She must have missed the group only by minutes. She still had a chance to see him again, still had a chance to reunite Sophia and Carol. She still had time.

 _Ba-dump_.

Kagome clenched a hand over her heart, eyes squeezed shut. "What…?" she murmured, confused.

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump_.

Her heart was pulsing. It had never done that before. What did it mean? She felt like she was burning, from the inside out.

"What's happening…?" These symptoms didn't match with anything that had been recorded thus far. She couldn't be dying, not now. Not when she was so close to seeing Daryl again. They had to be one of the most dysfunctional couples in the known universe. Coming together – _being_ together – only to be separated over and over.

Kagome grit her teeth. "I'm not dying," she snarled to herself, as if saying the words aloud would make it so. "It's not my time. I'm not leaving him."

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump!_

"Daryl doesn't have faith in anything holy," she went on, determined to get everything out in a house of the Lord. It was her last resort, if these were going to be her final moments. She would plead with any deity to keep Daryl safe. "But he does have faith in people. In me. I can't let him down."

She took a deep breath, letting the inner fire consume her. Her eyes opened, unknowingly blazing with her lavender-colored priestess powers. Her entire being seemed to glow.

"I'm not leaving him!" she screamed at the statue of Jesus. Even if her physical body was destroyed, she'd stay by his side and watch over him like a guardian angel. Her faith may have been shaken but it wasn't broken.

Then, with a soundless scream, Kagome's body was completely engulfed with her priestess powers. Light shot out in all directions, blinding and pure. And the raven haired beauty was in the center of it all.

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **With Rick, Shane, and Carl**_

Rick watched, smiling, as Carl slowly approached the deer. He had never seen his son so enchanted by something so simple in a long time. It helped to reinforce that Carl was still young and a child, still innocent. Sometimes, the former Sheriff wondered if Carl was too innocent and pure in this new, cruel world.

With everything that Carl would inevitably be exposed to, what sort of young man – adult – would he become? It was something Rick wasn't sure how to answer. He worried daily that his only son would become too hard, too cynical, too soon. As it stood, he knew Carl would have to grow up too fast. There was no changing that, and Rick was damned sorry about that. He'd do anything to protect his son, his family.

But this moment – this sign – made him believe everything would be okay.

Until it suddenly wasn't.

 _BANG!_

Horrified, Rick watched – as if in slow motion – as Carl's body jerked and he fell backwards. Blood started spreading across his T-shirt, crimson and rapid. His heart stopped.

 _No_ , he thought, numb and in shock. _No… Not Carl. Not my son…_

"Carl!" he yelled out. His feet moved before he realized what he was doing, eating up the distance between him and his boy. "CARL!"

 _ **TPoF*TPoF*TPoF**_

 _ **Baptist Church – With Kagome**_

Amethyst eyes abruptly opened, wide and surprised. A gasping breath left the raven haired beauty, and she sat up slowly as she took inventory of her being, not aware of when she ended up on the ground. She wiggled her toes within her shoes, and her fingers flexed as they should. Her head wasn't dizzy or lightheaded. She felt… perfectly fine. Healthy.

She pressed a hand to her forehead, checking for a fever. Nothing. Her skin was cool and normal. Almost desperately, she tore the makeshift bandage off of her arm. Nothing. No bite mark. There wasn't even a scar to suggest she'd been injured.

Kagome dropped her hand into her lap, dazed and confused. "What in Kami-sama's name is going on…?" she whispered out loud, knowing she wouldn't receive an answer.

Why hadn't she reacted the same way as everyone else that had gotten bitten? Why was she… different?

* * *

 _All of your reviews, follows, and favorites have left me blushing so hard! Really, I'm so happy that people are loving this story as much as I am (: Thank you so much! I truly appreciate everyone's kind and encouraging words :D_


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